Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Diseases Program

The Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Diseases Program (GEDP) is a joint program at The Children's Hospital and National Jewish Health that provides state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary care to patients affected by eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs), including eosinophilic esophagitis (EE). A team of medical professionals from two world-class healthcare institutions, this is the only multidisciplinary program caring for children with EGIDs in the Midwestern United States and Rocky Mountain regions.

Evaluation and Treatment

A multidisciplinary evaluation is coordinated by a physician assistant and nurse and may also involve board-certified pediatric gastroenterologists and allergists, nutritionists, and feeding specialists when appropriate. Specialized social work services also are readily available. Additional testing may need to be performed including endoscopy, allergy testing, and radiographic analysis.

Treatment options are reviewed and discussed in detail with families and appropriate support is provided. Follow up occurs by telephone and during future appointments.

Our Services

The mission of the GEDP is to improve the quality of life for patients and families affected by EGIDs. The program offers a comprehensive evaluation for patients suspected of having EGIDs and for children who have a previously established diagnosis.

Patients referred to the GEDP will receive a thorough review of their:

• Medical records
• Pathology slides
• Endoscopic procedures
• Allergy tests

Our Research

Research protocols that seek to determine the cause of EGIDs, offer novel treatment plans, and improve the quality of care are a significant part of the mission of the GEDP. Interested patients are offered the opportunity to participate in any protocol.

About EGIDs

EGIDs are a group of diseases characterized by a wide variety of gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting, swallowing problems, food impaction, abdominal pain, diarrhea, slow growth, and bleeding. These symptoms occur in combination with increased numbers of eosinophils in the gastrointestinal lining. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that has been primarily associated with allergic diseases but  also are found in other diseases.

Depending on the part of the GI tract affected, EGIDs can be called a variety of different names, such as:

• eosinophilic esophagitis (EE)
• eosinophilic gastritis (EG)
• eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE)
• eosinophilic colitis (EC)