Eosinophilic gastroenteritis in a patient with large-cell anaplastic lung carcinoma: a paraneoplastic syndrome?

Ital J Gastroenterol. 1994 Sep;26(7):354-6.

Abstract

A 39-year-old man was hospitalized with abdominal pain and diarrhoea. The total eosinophil count was 11,800/dL; the jejunal biopsy showed diffuse and patchy eosinophils and plasma cell infiltration of the lamina propria; symptoms and hypereosinophilia disappeared after steroid therapy. Two months later the symptoms reappeared together with left supraclavicular lymphnode enlargement. The chest X-ray showed a mass within the left lung apex. Lymph node biopsy showed metastases from large-cell anaplastic carcinoma. The possibility of eosinophilic gastroenteritis as a paraneoplastic manifestation is discussed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / complications*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Eosinophilia / complications*
  • Eosinophilia / drug therapy
  • Gastroenteritis / complications*
  • Gastroenteritis / diagnosis
  • Gastroenteritis / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / complications*
  • Male
  • Methylprednisolone / therapeutic use
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes* / diagnosis
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes* / drug therapy

Substances

  • Methylprednisolone