How do you Diagnose Eosinophilic Gastritis?
Your child’s doctor may do some tests to find out if there are eosinophils in the stomach. These tests include an endoscopy. We also call this an upper scope. During this scope your child is placed under anesthesia. The scope is done as an outpatient visit in same-day surgery. Your child’s doctor will put a small tube down the esophagus and into the stomach and part of the small intestine. The doctor will collect small tissue samples from each section of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These are called biopsies. A doctor will review the biopsies to see if there are eosinophils and what the tissue looks like.
It is normal for the stomach to have some eosinophils to protect against illness and parasites.
A doctor will look at all of the following to diagnose EoG:
- Symptoms
- Medical history
- What the doctor saw during the scope
- Pathology report (eosinophil levels, what the tissue samples look like)
High eosinophil levels in the stomach can occur in many conditions. EoG cannot be diagnosed on eosinophil levels alone. There is not a defined number for how many eosinophils in the stomach are “too high.” Lack of defined guidelines can make it hard to diagnose.
