Carcinoma colon in a patient with eosinophilic gastroenteritis

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an uncommon disease which can involve all layers of the gastrointestinal tract anywhere from the esophagus to colon. Clinical features depend upon the site of involvement and layer of GI tract involved. It is an inflammatory disease with remitting and relapsing course. We report a case which presented with discharging fecal fistula in lower abdomen after emergency laparotomy. Initial colonoscopy showed stricture with nodularity of the IC junction and biopsy showed features of eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Due to persistence of fistula he underwent right hemicolectomy with illeo-transverse anastomosis. Biopsy from surgical specimen showed well differentiated adenocarcinoma and eosinophilic infiltrate in muscularis. Surveillance colonoscopy done six months later showed ulcer at anastomotic site and biopsy showed features of eosinophilic colitis. The clinical course of this patient circumstantially indicates a linkage of eosinophilic colitis with carcinoma colon. This is the first reported case of association of eosinophilic colitis with carcinoma colon. We discuss in detail the clinical and pathological features of eosinophilic enteritis and possible mechanisms linking eosinophilc enteritis with carcinoma.