Age-Dependent Clinical Manifestations of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders Beyond Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) are chronic immune-mediated conditions characterized by pathological eosinophilic infiltration. The clinical features and therapies for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) vary between children and adults. However, there is limited comparison of non-EoE EGIDs across different ages of disease onset.

We retrospectively analyzed data that included 94 patients (12 juveniles, 57 young adults, and 23 older adults) with a history of non-EoE EGIDs managed in a tertiary hospital.

The study included patients with a mean onset age of 36.6 years, 52.1% of whom had allergic comorbidities. Diarrhea was more common in young adults (18-49 years), while nausea and vomiting were predominant in juveniles (0-17 years) compared to older adults (≥50 years). Reduced flatulence and/or defecation were less common in young adults. Ascites were less frequent in older adults. Notably, patients with the same affected gastrointestinal site also exhibited varying manifestations across age groups: young adults with gastric or ileal involvement had higher diarrhea rates (64% and 68.4%, respectively, p < 0.05), while juveniles with gastric/duodenal involvement exhibited higher nausea, vomiting, and ascites, and those with ileal involvement showed higher ascites (p =0.031). Young adults with colonic involvement had reduced flatulence/defecation less frequently (p = 0.005). Juveniles had significantly higher peripheral eosinophil counts (p = 0.040), and higher total serum IgE levels (p =0.002) compared to older adults. Serum albumin levels were significantly higher, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was significantly lower in the juvenile group compared to the young adult group (p = 0.004, p = 0.045) and the older adult group (p = 0.002, p = 0.002).

Clinical phenotypes of patients with non-EoE EGIDs vary by age of onset. A comprehensive understanding of the features in symptoms and therapies across different age groups can help accelerate diagnosis and enhance patient care.