Psychiatric Comorbidities Are Highly Prevalent in Nonesophageal Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases

The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in nonesophageal eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) has not been studied. We aimed to ascertain the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses and psychiatric medication use in children, adolescents, and adults with EGIDs and to assess whether psychiatric comorbidity affects clinical presentation.

This was a retrospective cohort study of newly diagnosed patients with a nonesophageal EGID at the University of North Carolina from 2008 to 2020. Psychiatric diagnoses and medications were extracted from medical records. We compared the clinical and demographic features of EGID patients with and without psychiatric diagnoses.

Of 79 patients (mean 23.3 years of age, 53% male, 78% White) with a nonesophageal EGID diagnosis, 40 (51%) were diagnosed with a comorbid psychiatric disease. Anxiety (37%) and depression (28%) were most common. There were also 40 (51%) patients treated medically for a psychiatric diagnosis. Patients with a psychiatric diagnosis were more commonly ≥18 years of age at the time of EGID diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 3.95, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-13.02) and had endorsed symptoms of nausea (OR, 5.31; 95% CI, 1.33-21.22) and dysphagia (OR, 4.24; 95% CI, 1.18-15.26).

Psychiatric diagnoses were very common in nonesophageal EGID patients with approximately 7 in 10 adults and one-third of children diagnosed. Similar proportions were found for psychiatric medication use. We also found that psychiatric illness may influence age of clinical presentation and symptoms. Providers should assess for concomitant psychiatric comorbidities in EGID patients.