Sonography in diagnosis and follow-up of serosal eosinophilic gastroenteritis treated with corticosteroid

An 18-year-old patient presented with abdominal pain, nausea, and low-grade fever. Sonography showed ascites in the region of the terminal ileum, and the presence of peritoneal nodules suggested peritoneal inflammation. Cytologic analysis of ascites revealed numerous eosinophils. Sonographic visualization of nodular peritoneal deposits associated with eosinophilic ascites permitted the diagnosis of the serosal form of eosinophilic gastroenteritis. The absence of mucosal and muscular involvement in the bowel wall was confirmed by endoscopy and CT. Two weeks of 20 mg/day oral prednisolone led to relief of the patient's symptoms, with normalization of laboratory parameters and sonographic findings. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.