Barriers to Timely Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases

Abstract

Although eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, including eosinophilic esophagitis, have been described over the past 2 to 3 decades, barriers to diagnosis and treatment are common and compounded by issues related to social determinants of health, race, ethnicity, and access to care. These barriers contribute to delays in diagnosis, resulting in persistent inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, which can have significant consequences, including fibrostenotic complications in adults, failure to thrive in children, and decreased quality of life in all affected patients. In this commentary, we summarize gaps in knowledge regarding the epidemiology of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, highlight barriers to diagnosis, discuss potential approaches based on best practices in other atopic and chronic gastrointestinal diseases, and provide recommendations for reducing barriers to timely diagnosis of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases in underserved populations.

Keywords: Eosinophilic colitis; Eosinophilic esophagitis; Eosinophilic gastritis; Eosinophilic gastroenteritis; Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease; Race; Sex; Socioeconomic status.