Short Stature and Anemia in Pediatric Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis

A 4.5-year-old male child with short stature (-2.8 SD), who had a history of asthma and with high RAST values of IgE antibodies to specific food allergens, visited our clinic with chronic vomiting and severe anemia (Hb 4.4 g/dL). He was also noted to have peripheral eosinophilia (2,049/µL) and high serum IgE (RIST: 8,761 U/mL). With Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs; eosinophilic gastritis, EG and Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis, EGE) being suspected, an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed, which confirmed the pathological histology of eosinophilic gastritis. His short stature was not familial but was thought to be related to EG/EGE. To determine if short stature is one of the EG/EGE-related symptoms, a literature survey was performed in Japanese pediatric EGE cases. We have analyzed 4 such cases including this case report. Probable pathological involvement of EG/EGE in the physical growth in pediatric patients was speculated because short stature improved after treatment for EG/EGE in 3 of the four cases. Further studies are required on the impaired growth in patients with EG/EGE.