Summary
The authors report a case of allergic granulomatous vasculitis with prominent intestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea) due to a widespread involvement of the gut and associated with the presence of a monoclonal IgG in the serum (without evidence of myeloma). Rectoscopy showed nonspecific proctitis, but both pathological hallmarks of the disease (allergic vasculitis and extravascular tuberculoid granulomas) were present on reactal biopsy specimens. At laparotomy, vasculitis nodules were scattered throughout the visceral serosa, omentum, and gastrocolic ligament. Histology of omental nodules revealed the full-blown picture of allergic granulomatous angiitis. Steroids induced a dramatic and prolonged improvement of the digestive symptoms.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Churg J, Strauss L: Allergic granulomatosis. Allergic angiitis and peri-arteritis nodosa. Am J Pathol 27:277–301, 1951.
Chumbley LC, Harrison EG, DeRemee RA: Allergic granulomatosis and angiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome). Report and analysis of 30 cases. Mayo Clin Proc 52:477–484, 1977
Theofilopoulos AN, Wilson CB, Dixon FJ: The Raji cell radioimmune assay for detecting immune complexes in human sera. J Clin Invest 57:169–183, 1976
Crabbé PA, Carbonara AO, Heremans JF: The normal intestinal mucosa as a major source of plasma cells containing A-immunoglobulin. Lab Invest 14:235–248, 1965
Rose GA, Spencer H: Polyarteritis nodosa. Q J Med 26:43–89, 1957
Bayley EC, Lindberg DON, Baggentoss AH: Loeffler's syndrome. Peport of a case with pathologic examination of the lungs. Arch Pathol 40:376–381, 1945
Smith, JF: Disseminated focal necrosis with eosinophilia and arteritis in a case of asthma (Loeffler's syndrome). J Pathol Bacteriol 60:489–494, 1948
Erlich JC, Romanoff A: Allergic ganuloma of the lung. Clincial and anatomic findings in a patient with bronchial asthma and eosinophilia. Arch Intern Med 87:259–268, 1951
Ruzic JP, Dorsey JM, Huber HL, Armstrong SH: Gastric lesion of Loeffler's syndrome. Report of a case with inflammatory lesion simulating carcinoma. J Am Med Assoc 149:534–536, 1952
Lincoln CS: Disseminated pathergic (allergic) granulomatosis. Arch Dermatol 75:107–111, 1957
Abdul-Haj SK, Flanagan P: Asthma associated with disseminated necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis, the Churg-Strauss syndrome. Report of a case. Med Ann DC 30:670–676, 1961
Varriale P, Minogue WF, Alfenito JC: Allergic granulomatosis. Case report and review of the literature. Arch Intern Med 113:235–239, 1964
Sokolov RA, Rachmaninoff N, Kaine HD: Allergic granulomatosis. Am J Med 32:131–141, 1962
Kinsella DL, Simpson HN: Loeffler's pneumonia terminating in fatal periarteritis nodosa. J Am Med Assoc 202:867–869, 1967
Hardy WR, Anderson RE: The hypereosinophilic syndromes. Ann Intern Med 68:1220–1229, 1968
Abell MR, Limond RV, Blamey WE, Martel W: Allergic granulomatosis with massive gastric involvement. N Engl J Med 282:665–668, 1970
Burton JL, Burton PA: Pulmonary eosinophilia associated with vasculitis and extravascular granulomata. A case report and review of the literature. Br J Dermatol 87:412–419, 1972
Rosenberg TF, Medsger TA, DeCicco FA, Fireman P: Allergic granulomatous angiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome). J Allergy Clin Immunol 55:56–67, 1975
Cooper BJ, Bacal E, Patterson R: Allergic angiitis and granulomatosis. Prolonged remission induced by combined prednisone-azathioprine therapy. Arch Intern Med 138:367–371, 1978
Suen KC, Burton JD: The spectrum of eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract and its relationship to other disorders and granulomatosis. Hum Pathol 10:31–43, 1979
Lasser A, Ghofrany S: Necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis (allergic granulomatosis) of the gallbladder. Gastroenterology 71:660–662, 1976
Diebold J, Antebi, L, Kalifat RS, Bernadou A, De Langenhagen B, Reynes M: Angeite allergique granulomateuse avec manifestations pulmonaires et cardiaques prédominantes. Presse Med 77:1211–1212, 1969
Godeau P, Wechsler B, Bletry O, Louvel A, Fanjoux J: Syndrome de Churg et Strauss. Place nosologique. A propos d'un nouveau cas diagnostiqué prémortem. Sem Hop Paris 51:2407–2414, 1975
Dujardin P, Cassuto JP, Audoly P, Kermarec J: Angéite granulomateuse allergique. A propos de 4 observations. Ann Med Intern 129:165–173, 1978
Barge J: Les angéites nécrosantes avec hypereosinophilie. Arch Anat Cytol Pathol 27:201–205, 1979
Roberts WC, Mac Gregor RR, DeBlanc HJ, Beiser D, Wolff SM: The prepulseless phase of pulseless disease, or pulseless disease with pulses. A newly recognized cause of cardiac disease, monoclonal gammopathy and “fever of unknown origin”. Am J Med 46:313–324, 1969
Michaux JL, Heremans JF: Thirty cases of monoclonal immunoglobulin disorders other than myeloma and macroglobulinemia. A classification of diseases associated with the production of monoclonal-type immunoglobulins. Am J Med 46:562–579, 1969
Cohn DL, McDuffie FC, Holley KE, Schroeter AL: Immunologic mechanisms in systemic vasculitis. Mayo Clin Proc 51:511–518, 1976
Krous HF, Clausen CR, Ray CG: Elevated immunoglobulin E in infantile polyarteritis nodosa. J Pediatr 84:841–845, 1974
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Modigliani, R., Muschart, JM., Galian, A. et al. Allergic granulomatous vasculitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome). Digest Dis Sci 26, 264–270 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01391641
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01391641