Eosinophilic gastroenteritis

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, abbreviated EG or EGE and also known as eosinophilic enteritis, is a rare and heterogeneous condition marked by patchy or diffuse infiltration of gastrointestinal tissue by eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. It was first described by Kaijser in 1937. The presentation varies with the location, depth and extent of involvement of the bowel wall, and the course is usually chronic and relapsing. It can be classified into mucosal, muscular and serosal types according to the depth of involvement. Any part of the digestive tract can be affected and isolated involvement of the biliary tract has also been reported, but the stomach is the organ most commonly affected, followed by the small intestine and the colon.