Diseases of the Digestive System
Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) (Group of Conditions)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The information on the Rare Awareness Rare Education (RARE) Portal is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace professional advice.
Rare diseases typically display a high level of symptom complexity and variability. Individuals diagnosed with the same rare disease may be impacted differently and each person’s experience is unique. Please seek support from qualified healthcare professionals to learn more about the most suitable care and support options for you.
For more information on this disease, please refer to RVA Partner, ausEE Inc.1
If you are aware of any additional information that may benefit stakeholders with an interest in this page, or if you notice any broken links or inaccurate information, please let us know via the Contribute page.
Contributors
This page has been co-developed with RVA Partner, ausEE Inc.1
Quick Page Search:
Emergency Management | Clinical Care Guidelines | Synonyms | Summary | Personal Stories | Symptoms | Cause/Inheritance | Diagnosis | Treatment | Clinical Care | Research | Rare Disease Organisation(s) | Support Services/Resources | Mental Health | Other | References
Emergency Management
There may be special considerations for the emergency management of individuals living with Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) presenting to emergency departments.
Individuals with Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE), a type of EGID, may present to emergency departments with food impactions. When treating patients with EoE, it is important to refer to their emergency and management plans:
- Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA): Action Plan for Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE)
- Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA): Management Plan for Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE)
Clinical Care Guidelines
General clinical care guidelines for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) as a whole are yet to be developed in Australia, but the following guidelines and recommendations are available:
- Clinical care guidelines specific for Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE) can be found at RARE Portal: Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE)
- For non-EoE EGIDs, there is the Joint ESPGHAN/NASPGHAN Guidelines on Childhood Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders beyond Eosinophilic Esophagitis developed by a taskforce made up of medical specialists from various countries, including from Australia
- International Consensus Recommendations for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Nomenclature, which involved participation from Australian experts, contains important clarification about the nomenclature of EGIDs for clinical settings
- Australia’s National Allergy Strategy to improve the health and quality of life of Australian with allergic diseases, including conditions such as EoE
Summary
Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) are inflammatory conditions in which large numbers of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell that is part of the body’s immune system) infiltrate and accumulate in the gut (gastrointestinal tract), causing inflammation and tissue damage.1 This may be due to an allergic response to food, environment, or other unknown triggers. EGIDs can occur in various parts of the , resulting in the different conditions.1,2 Symptoms will depend on the type of EGIDs.1
According to the 2022 International consensus for EGID terminology:2
- Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE) involves the oesophagus
- Eosinophilic Gastritis (EoG) involves the stomach
- Eosinophilic Enteritis (EoN) involves the small bowel/intestine;
- Eosinophilic Duodenitis (EoD) involves the duodenum
- Eosinophilic Jejunum (EoJ) involves the jejunum
- Eosinophilic Ileitis (EoI) involves the ileum
- Eosinophilic Colitis (EoC) involves the colon/large intestine
EoE is the most commonly known EGID, but there is increasingly more awareness of and research into the non-EoE EGIDs.1,2 In the past, the term ‘Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis’ has been widely used in a non-standardised manner, often to represent when any part of the gastrointestinal tract is affected, resulting in confusion in clinical and research settings.2 It is now recommended that the term ‘Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis’ is only used for the condition in which both the stomach and small bowel/intestine are involved and ‘EGID’ should instead be used as the umbrella term for ‘diseases of the GI tract with pathologic eosinophilic infiltration in the absence of secondary causes’.2
Personal stories can be found at ausEE Inc. (EOSaware): My EGID Stories.
Useful Links for Professionals
International Consensus Recommendations for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Nomenclature
ausEE Inc.: Information and Resources for Health Professionals
National Allergy Council: Shared care for allergy
National Allergy Council: Allergy Aware – Resources for Health professionals
Symptoms
The symptoms of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) may vary depending on which part of the gut is affected.1,3
Please speak to your medical team to learn more about the specific symptoms and complications of a particular EGID.
More information on symptoms associated with EoE can be found at the RARE Portal: Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE)
Cause/Inheritance
The cause of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) is not well-understood, but is thought to be caused by an allergy to food.3
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of an eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) should be considered in the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms with no obvious cause.3 An endoscopy is usually performed by a gastroenterologist and involves the insertion of an endoscope (a tube with a light and attached camera) to examine the gastrointestinal tract.1 Tissue samples (biopsies) are often taken to identify if there is accumulation of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell). Other possible causes of the gastrointestinal symptoms and increased presence of eosinophils will also need to be ruled out.3
Treatment
EGIDs are chronic conditions that require ongoing management monitored by a multidisciplinary medical team.1 This may include medication or making dietary changes, such as an elimination diet to identify if the EGID is caused by a food allergen, which should only be done with advice from medical professionals.
It is best to speak with your medical team to learn more about the possible treatment or management strategies for your EGID condition and its associated symptoms. Treatment will depend on an individual’s specific symptoms and complications.
Clinical Care
Healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of EGIDs may include general practitioners (GP), gastroenterologists (stomach/bowel medical specialists), clinical immunology/allergy specialists and specialist dietitians.2 The need for different healthcare professionals may change over a person’s lifetime and extend beyond those listed here.
Research
ausEE Inc.: Research provides information about research on EGIDs in Australia, including funding for medical research grants.
Please visit Australian Clinical Trials to learn more about clinical trials for EGIDs in Australia; there may not be any clinical trials currently available.
Information regarding clinical trials for EGIDs in other countries can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov; there may not be any clinical trials currently available.
For research and clinical trial updates, please visit ausEE Inc. – Clinical Trials.
It is best to discuss your interest in any clinical trials with your medical team to determine suitability and eligibility.
Rare Disease Organisation(s)
ausEE Inc. RVA Partner Australian Organisation
Website: https://ausee.org
Phone: 1300 923 043
Email: [email protected]
Contact form: https://ausee.org/contactus/
ausEE Inc. is Australia’s peak national support and patient advocacy organisation representing Australians living with an eosinophilic disease, with an established focus on eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) including eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). ausEE’s mission is to improve the lives of those affected by eosinophilic diseases through providing support, evidence-based information, resources, advocacy and by campaigning to raise awareness and funds for research in Australia.
Please note that RVA does not necessarily monitor or endorse each group/organisation’s operational governance.
Support Services/Resources
Please visit the National and State Services pages.
Mental Health
ausEE Inc. offers support programs, including for peer support.
For general mental health resources, please visit the ‘Mental Health’ sections listed on the National and State Services pages.
Other
Further information on allergies in general can be found at:
- Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
- Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA)
- National Allergy Council
References
- ausEE Inc. Accessed on 9 October 2023. https://ausee.org
- Dellon ES, Gonsalves N, Abonia JP, Alexander JA, Arva NC, Atkins D et al. International Consensus Recommendations for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Nomenclature. Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2022; 20:2474-2484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2022.02.017
- Redd WD, Dellon ES. Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases Beyond the Esophagus: An Evolving Field and Nomenclature. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. (N.Y.). 2022; 18(9):522-528. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9666791/
Page Last Updated
30/10/2023 09:34
