Eosinophil inflammatory reaction in isolated organs.

Twenty-nine cases of eosinophilic infiltration of isolated organs or tissues, not associated with allergic history, were revised. Sixteen were men and 13 women, the mean age was 39.3 years. The presenting symptoms were related with an inflammation of the target organ or tissue in 25 cases. Nineteen cases had histories of acute or chronic inflammation of the same organ or tissue. Blood eosinophilia was marked in 3 cases of Loeffler's syndrome. Morphologically, eosinophilic infiltration of isolated organs or tissues can be diffuse, focal or polyp-nodular. Charcot-leyden crystals were found in macrophages or between the eosinophilic infiltrate. The present authors believe that some of these lesions are due to a local allergic reaction to any of the different substances liberated in old foci of inflammation of the target organ or tissue. This is based on: 1) Many cases have no allergic history. 2) Blood eosinophilia is unusual in all cases but Loeffler's syndrome. 3) Many patients had personal history of inflammation of the target organ. 4) The eosinophil has a short life span, and 5) Eosinophilic infiltration is more frequent in organs where inflammation is usual. The performance of appropriate sensibility allergic tests in all patients with eosinophilic infiltration of isolated organs is emphasized, in order to probe the validity of our hypothesis.