Churg-Strauss Syndrome Leading to Small Bowel Infarction: An Unusual Case of Abdominal Pain in a Young Patient

Abstract

A 33-year-old man with a history of severe asthma presented to the emergency department with a week-long history of severe unrelenting abdominal 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, characteristic of Churg-Strauss syndrome. The patient subsequently underwent 12 separate laparotomies to salvage surviving small bowel. The patient is maintained on total parenteral nutrition.