pica and Gastritis

Eosinophilic esophagitis has been reported as a complication of oral immunotherapy (OIT), but there are only a few reports of eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) occurring after OIT. EGE causes eosinophil infiltration into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and is characterized by various digestive symptoms. We report the case of a 6-year-old boy with EGE. He was diagnosed as having immediate-type food allergies (egg, milk and wheat) by oral food challenges at 1 year of age. OIT for each food was carried out, and the amounts of the offending foods were able to be gradually increased without causing any immediate-type allergy symptoms. However, the total IgE and specific IgE values were remarkably increased at the age of 4 years and 4 months. He first developed oral mucosa symptoms and vomiting at 4 years and 10 months of age, and they gradually worsened. Stopping eggs and milk alleviated the symptoms. Nevertheless, he still occasionally vomited. He started Pica eating disorder (sand and sponge) due to anemia from 5 years and 10 months of age and developed eosinophilia without diarrhea or bloody stool. Upper and lower GI tract endoscopic examinations found no bleeding. The GI mucosa showed eosinophil infiltration of more than 40/high-power field in the stomach and duodenum, so he was diagnosed with EGE. No eosinophils were found in the esophageal mucosa. His GI symptoms and anemia improved on a multiple-food-elimination diet. Patients undergoing OIT should be closely followed up for a long time, and those with GI symptoms should be evaluated by GI endoscopy.

Topics: Animals; Child; Enteritis; Eosinophilia; Food Hypersensitivity; Gastritis; Humans; Immunotherapy; Male; Pica

This is a case report of chronic esophagitis and gastritis following the ingestion of box jellyfish (

Topics: Animals; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child; Cubozoa; Eating; Endoscopy, Digestive System; Esophagitis; Gastritis; Hawaii; Humans; Male; Pica

Collagenous gastritis is an uncommon gastrointestinal disease in children. Its cause remains uncertain. It may present as severe hypoproteinaemia manifesting as generalized oedema. We report a 15 months old female who presented with pica, generalized body oedema and diarrhoea. Diagnostic workup revealed gastric replacement of the lamina propria by hyalinized collagen on histology. This case seeks to highlight the need for early paediatric gastroenterology referral including oesophagogastroduodenoscopy with multiple tissue biopsies as part of a broad diagnostic workup in children with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms to improve diagnostic yield and enable accurate histologic diagnosis, so that appropriate therapy can be timeously applied.

Topics: Albumins; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Azathioprine; Biopsy; Collagen; Diarrhea; Edema; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; Female; Gastric Mucosa; Gastritis; Humans; Hypoalbuminemia; Hypoproteinemia; Infant; Pica; Prednisone; Treatment Outcome; Water-Electrolyte Balance

Pica is common in pregnancy and is often felt to be benign. The following case of severe pica presenting without anemia is unusual in its presentation, laboratory findings, and treatment.. A 31-year-old multiparous woman at 37 0/7 weeks of gestation presented with esophagitis and gastritis secondary to laundry detergent consumption. She had borderline anemia (hemoglobin of 11 g/dL and hematocrit of 37%, mean corpuscular volume 80%) but was severely iron-deficient (serum ferritin 7 micrograms/dL). Parenteral iron infusion was associated with dramatic resolution of her cravings within 36 hours of treatment.. Pica may be related to deficient iron stores in the absence of anemia and can result in serious morbidity. Parenteral iron may be associated with rapid pica resolution in symptomatic pregnant patients.

Topics: Adult; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Detergents; Esophagitis; Female; Gastritis; Humans; Iron; Iron Deficiencies; Noxae; Pica; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Trace Elements; Treatment Outcome

Gavage of 2 M NaCl (IG 2 M NaCl), a procedure to induce cell-dehydration-and water and 0.15 M NaCl intake in a two-bottle choice test-is also a potential gastric irritant. In this study, we assessed whether mineral intake induced by IG 2 M NaCl is associated with gastric irritation or production of pica in the rat. We first determined the amount of mineral solution (0.15 M NaCl, 0.15 M NaHCO3, 0.01 M KCl and 0.05 mM CaCl2) and water ingested in response to IG 2 M NaCl in a five-bottle test. Then, we used mineral solutions (0.01 M KCl and 0.15 M NaHCO3), whose intakes were significantly increased compared to controls, and water in three-bottle tests to test the gastric irritation hypothesis. The IG 2 M NaCl induced KCl and NaHCO3 intake that was not inhibited by gavage with gastric protectors Al(OH)3 or NaHCO3. IG 2 M NaCl or gavage of 0.6 N acetic acid induced mild irritation, hyperemia, of the glandular part of the stomach. A gavage of 50% ethanol induced strong irritation seen as pinpoint ulcerations. Neither ethanol nor acetic acid induced any fluid intake. Neither IG 2 M NaCl nor acetic acid induced kaolin intake, a marker of pica in laboratory rats. Ethanol did induce kaolin intake. These results suggest that IG 2 M NaCl induced a mineral fluid intake not selective for sodium and independent from gastric irritation or pica.

Topics: Acetic Acid; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Choice Behavior; Dehydration; Drinking; Drinking Behavior; Ethanol; Food Preferences; Gastric Lavage; Gastric Mucosa; Gastritis; Male; Mineral Waters; Pica; Rats; Saline Solution, Hypertonic; Sodium Bicarbonate; Sodium Chloride

Topics: Adult; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Coffee; Female; Gastritis; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Pica

1) Geophagia characterized by, severe, anaemia, dwarfism, hypogonadism and hepatosplenomegaly is sometimes seen in young patients (and children) in Iran. 2) Haematological aspects of the syndrome are those of, severe, iron deficiency anaemia. 3) Gastric biopsies and histological findings revealed superficial or atrophic gastritis showing some resemblance to those seen in pernicious anaemia. 4) Haematological features, anaemia and many of the clinical signs of the syndrome were improved after appropriate iron therapy. 5) Histological changes of gastric mucosa improved, in 5 patients, 6 months after correction of the anaemia.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia, Hypochromic; Biopsy; Dwarfism; Female; Gastric Mucosa; Gastritis; Hepatomegaly; Humans; Hypogonadism; Iron; Male; Pica; Soil; Time Factors