How is the entity eosinophilic gastroenteritis defined? Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare, nonparasitic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract with various degrees of eosinophilic infiltration anywhere in the tubular intestinal tract and the biliary tree in the absence of vasculitis or significant extraintestinal tissue eosinophilia. Peripheral blood eosinophilia is present in up to 80%. Why [...]

What is ulcerative colitis? Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon. It is distinct from Crohn’s disease (CD) of the colon in that the inflammation is restricted mostly to the mucosa and involves only the colon. The rectal segment is almost always involved, whereas in CD of the colon the rectum [...]

What are the usual symptoms and signs suggestive of Crohn’s disease? The symptoms of Crohn’s disease are determined by the site and type of involvement, that is, inflammatory, stenotic, or fistulizing. The most common site of involvement is ileocolitis. These patients present with diarrhea; abdominal pain that is usually insidious in the right lower quadrant, [...]

What is the best screening test for fat malabsorption? Microscopic examination of stool using Sudan stain to detect fat is the best screening test for fat malabsorption. This test has a 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity. A stool sample is smeared on a microscope slide and mixed with ethanolic Sudan III and glacial acetic acid. [...]