OBJECTIVE: to report two cases of infants with hemorrhagic gastritis due to cow's milk allergy. DESCRIPTION: the clinical features included hematemesis, vomiting and malnutrition. All patients had eosinophilic infiltrate in gastric biopsies and got favorable clinical outcome after cow's milk free diet. COMMENTS: hemorrhagic gastritis due to cow's milk allergy is an uncommon diagnosis. Clinical findings in 10 patients (including ours) reported with allergic gastritis were vomiting, malnutrition, anemia, and hematemesis. Gastritis occurs in cow's milk allergy in a wide range of severity, and it could remain hidden in most patients. Unless appropriate management is ensued, patients develop severe malnutrition and severe anemia. Allergic compromise of upper gastrointestinal tract might be considered in all vomiting infants particularly if complicated by hematemesis. Diagnosis of allergic gastritis relies on clinical suspicion helped by endoscopy and gastric biopsies.
hemorrhagic gastritis; cow's milk allergy; infant
