CHURG-STRAUSS-SYNDROME LEADING TO SMALL-BOWEL INFARCTION - AN UNUSUALCASE OF ABDOMINAL-PAIN IN A YOUNG PATIENT

A 33-year-old man with a history of severe asthma presented to the eme rgency department with a week-long history of severe unrelenting abdom inal pain, nausea and decreased appetite. He was admitted to hospital, and routine gastrointestinal investigations were performed, which did not elucidate the cause of his abdominal pain. Exploratory laparotomy demonstrated patchy infarction of the entire small bowel, characteris tic of Churg-Strauss syndrome. The patient subsequently underwent 12 s eparate laparotomies to salvage surviving small bowel. The patient is maintained on total parenteral nutrition.