Korean J Dermatol.
2008 Jul;46(7):950-954.
A Case of Churg-Strauss Syndrome Associated with Small Bowel Perforationfollowing High Dose Systemic Steroid Intravenous Injection
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea. mucca@dau.ac.kr
Abstract
- Churg-Strauss syndrome is an uncommon disorder characterized by bronchial asthma or allergic rhinitis, peripheral eosinophilia, systemic necrotizing vasculitis, and extravascular granuloma formation. It commonly affects the lungs, skin, gastrointestinal tract, peripheral nerve, kidneys and the heart. Gastrointestinal symptoms of Churg-Strauss syndrome are common, mainly shown in abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bleeding. Ulceration, perforation, stenosis can occurr with ischemia induced by vasculitis. Gastrointestinal perforation by Churg-Strauss syndrome has been reported rarely, and was recently discovered to have a close correlation to systemic steroid treatment. Nearly one third of patients infected with a gastrointestinal perforation die. This report covers the interesting case of a 54 year-old woman who was being treated for asthma, and was diagnosed as Churg-Strauss syndrome by multiple polyneuropathy and ulcerative macules. Small intestine perforation was generated 4 days after high dose systemic steroid intravenous injection.