CT features of eosinophilic gastroenteritis

Abstract

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the features and diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT) in eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG). Methods Twenty patients pathologically diagnosed with EG by gastroscopy and enteroscopy were retrospectively analyzed to determine the imaging features of EG. Results Among the patients diagnosed with EG in this study, fifteen demonstrated a predominantly mucosal type, nine of whom had EG involving the gastric wall. CT findings showed gastric wall thickening, submucosal edema, and intraluminal granuloma mimicking a polyp. Six of the patients had EG involving the small bowel, presenting as bowel wall thickening and “araneid-limb-like” sign. One patient had muscular type EG found in the ileocecus, with CT revealing luminal narrowing with obstruction, mimicking a soft tissue mass, and a small amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity. One patient had serosal type EG observed in the colon, with CT revealing pronounced wall thickening of the hole in the colon with evident contrast enhancement of the outer layers, “comb sign,” increased enhancement of the mesentery and fat tissue of the small bowel, and little amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity. In three patients with mixed type EG, lesions were patchy and multiple and localized or diffuse, and irregular wall thickening of multiple inhomogeneous reinforcement, with skipped areas, and mural stratification and multi-circumferential enhancement were observed. Conclusions Considering that each type of EG has characteristic CT appearance, combined with typical clinical features and peripheral blood eosinophilia, establishing an appropriate diagnosis of EG is significant.