Eosinophilic gastroenteritis

Title

Other Names:

Eosinophilic gastritis; Eosinophilic enteritis; Eosinophilic gastroenteropathy; Eosinophilic gastritis; Eosinophilic enteritis; Eosinophilic gastroenteropathy; Eosinophilic esophagitis; EGE; Eosinophilic gastroenterocolitis See More

Categories:

Digestive Diseases

Summary Summary

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis occurs when certain white blood cells known as eosinophils get into the digestive tract and cause damage. Symptoms of eosinophilic gastroenteritis usually start in adulthood and may include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and the inability to absorb nutrients from food. Sometimes, a blockage in the intestines occurs. In most people, symptoms occur from time to time and may go away completely with treatment. The exact cause of eosinophilic gastroenteritis is unknown, but it may be due to an abnormal response of the immune system to food allergies. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms, a clinical exam, laboratory tests, and by excluding other more common conditions. Treatment is focused on managing the symptoms and includes diet and medication.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Last updated: 8/18/2020

Symptoms Symptoms

The following list includes the most common signs and symptoms in people with eosinophilic gasteroenteritis. These features may be different from person to person. Some people may have more symptoms than others and symptoms can range from mild to severe. This list does not include every symptom or feature that has been described in this condition.

Symptoms of eosinophilic gastroenteritis may include:^[1]^[3]^[4]

Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Nausea and vomiting
Inability to absorb nutrients from food (malabsorption)
Weight loss
Intestinal obstruction

Symptoms can occur at any age but they usually develop between ages 30 and 50. Children with eosinophilic gastroenteritis may have problems with growth due to malabsorption. In general, symptoms tend to occur periodically, and may go away completely with treatment.^[1]^[3]^[4]

Last updated: 8/18/2020

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms	Other Names	Learn More: HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Eosinophilia	High blood eosinophil count	0001880
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Abdominal pain	Pain in stomach Stomach pain [ more ]	0002027
Allergic rhinitis	Hay fever Hayfever [ more ]	0003193
Anemia	Low number of red blood cells or hemoglobin	0001903
Dysphagia	Poor swallowing Swallowing difficulties Swallowing difficulty [ more ]	0002015
Elevated C-reactive protein level		0011227
Hypoalbuminemia	Low blood albumin	0003073
Steatorrhea	Fat in feces	0002570
Vomiting	Throwing up	0002013
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Ascites	Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen	0001541
Asthma		0002099
Atopic dermatitis		0001047
Edema	Fluid retention Water retention [ more ]	0000969
Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate	High ESR	0003565
Hematochezia	Rectal bleeding	0002573
Protein-losing enteropathy		0002243
Weight loss		0001824

Showing of 17 |

Do you have more information about symptoms of this disease? We want to hear from you.

Last updated: 2/1/2021

Cause Cause

The exact cause of eosinophilic gastroenteritis is unknown. It is thought that an abnormal immune reaction to a food allergy, along with genetic factors, may contribute to the development of this condition.^[1]^[2]^[4]

Last updated: 8/18/2020

Diagnosis Diagnosis

Diagnosis of eosinophilic gastroenteritis is based on the symptoms, clinical exam, laboratory tests, and imaging studies. Laboratory tests may include blood tests for immunoglobulins, red and white blood cell levels, and infections. Imaging studies may include a CT scan and an endoscopy to look at the stomach and intestines. It may also be necessary to do a take a small piece of tissue from the intestine to exam under the microscope (biopsy). It is often necessary to exclude other more conditions before diagnosing eosinophilic gastroenteritis.^[1]^[2]

Last updated: 8/18/2020

Treatment Treatment

Treatment of eosinophilic gastroenteritis is focused on managing the symptoms. In most cases, dietary restrictions and medications can improve the symptoms of this condition. In some people, surgery may be necessary to remove an intestinal blockage.^[2]^[3]^[5]

Specialists involved in the care of someone with eosinophilic gastroenteritis may include:

Allergy and asthma specialist
Gastroenterologist
Infectious disease specialist
Dietician/nutritionist

Last updated: 8/18/2020

Statistics Statistics

It has been estimated that about 8.4-28 people per 100,000 have eosinophilic gastroenteritis in the United States. There have been about 300 cases reported in the medical literature.^[1]^[3]

Last updated: 8/18/2020

Do you have updated information on this disease? We want to hear from you.

Find a Specialist Find a Specialist

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders has a Find a specialist tool to help you search for a specialist by location and specialty.

Related Diseases Related Diseases

Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Differential diagnosis includes eosinophilic esophagitis, Crohn disease, periarteritis nodosa, Churg-Strauss syndrome, idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, congenital chronic diarrhea with protein-losing enteropathy, celiac disease, lymphoma (see these terms) and gastric cancer. Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research Research

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Organizations Organizations

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders
PO Box 29545
Atlanta, GA 30359
Telephone: 713-493-7749
E-mail: mail@apfed.org
Website: http://www.apfed.org
CURED Foundation
Buffalo Grove, IL
E-mail: Ellyn@curedfoundation.org
Website: https://curedfoundation.org/
International Eosinophil Society
555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Telephone: 414-276-6445
E-mail: info@eosinophil-society.org/
Website: http://www.eosinophil-society.org/

Organizations Providing General Support

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA)
19176 Hall Road, Suite 130
Clinton Township, MI 48038
Toll-free: 800-598-4668
Telephone: 586-776-3900
Fax: 586-776-3903
E-mail: aarda@aarda.org
Website: https://www.aarda.org/

Do you know of an organization? We want to hear from you.

Learn More Learn More

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

GARD Answers GARD Answers

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

Have a question? Contact a GARD Information Specialist.

References References

Sunkara T, Rawla P, Yarlagadda KS, Gaduputi V. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis: diagnosis and clinical perspectives. Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2019; 12:239-253. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31239747.
Memon RJ, Savliwala MN. Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. June 28, 2020; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31613509.
Gonsalves N. Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2019; 57(2):272-285. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30903439.
Zhang M, Li Y. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis: A state-of-the-art review. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017; 32(1):64-72. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27253425.
Pineton de Chambrun G, Dufour G, Tassy B, et al. Diagnosis, Natural History and Treatment of Eosinophilic Enteritis: a Review. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2018; 20(8):37. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29968127.