Gleich's syndrome or episodic angioedema with eosinophilia is a rare disease in which the body swells up episodically (angioedema

Angioedema

Angioedema or Quincke's edema is the rapid swelling of the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, mucosa and submucosal tissues. It is very similar to urticaria, but urticaria, commonly known as hives, occurs in the upper dermis...

), associated with raised antibodies of the IgM

IGM

IGM as an acronym or abbreviation can refer to:* Immunoglobulin M , the primary antibody against A and B antigens on red blood cells* International Grandmaster, a chess ranking* intergalactic medium* Intragroup medium - see: Intracluster medium...

 type and increased numbers of eosinophil granulocyte

Eosinophil granulocyte

Eosinophil granulocytes, usually called eosinophils or eosinophiles , are white blood cells that are one of the immune system components responsible for combating multicellular parasites and certain infections in vertebrates. Along with mast cells, they also control mechanisms associated with...

s, a type of white blood cell

White blood cell

White blood cells, or leukocytes , are cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. Five different and diverse types of leukocytes exist, but they are all produced and derived from a multipotent cell in the bone marrow known as a...

s, in the blood (eosinophilia

Eosinophilia

Eosinophilia is a condition in which the eosinophil count in the peripheral blood exceeds 0.45×109/L . A marked increase in non-blood tissue eosinophil count noticed upon histopathologic examination is diagnostic for tissue eosinophilia. Several causes are known, with the most common being...

). It was first described in 1984.

Its cause is unknown, but it is unrelated to capillary leak syndrome

Capillary leak syndrome

Capillary leak syndrome is a rare medical conditioncharacterized by self-reversing episodes during which the endothelial cells which line the capillaries are thought to separate for a few days, allowing for a leakage of fluid from the circulatory system to the interstitial space, resulting in a...

 (which may cause similar swelling episodes) and eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome

Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome

Eosinophilia–myalgia syndrome is an incurable and sometimes fatal flu-like neurological condition that is believed to have been caused by ingestion of poorly produced L-tryptophan supplements...

 (which features eosinophilia but alternative symptoms). Moreover, it is not a form of hypereosinophilic syndrome

Hypereosinophilic syndrome

The hypereosinophilic syndrome is a disease characterized by a persistently elevated eosinophil count in the blood for at least six months without any recognizable cause, with involvement of either the heart, nervous system, or bone marrow.HES is a diagnosis of exclusion, after clonal...

 as there is no evidence that it leads to organ damage. Some studies have shown that edema attacks are associated with degranulation (release of enzymes and mediators from eosinophils), and others have demonstrated antibodies

Antibody

An antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...

 against endothelium

Endothelium

The endothelium is the thin layer of cells that lines the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. These cells are called endothelial cells. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart...

 (cells lining blood vessels) in the condition.

Gleich syndrome has a good prognosis. Attack severity may improve with steroid

Glucocorticoid

Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor , which is present in almost every vertebrate animal cell...

treatment.