EGS Diagnosis

Diagnosis of EGS can be difficult as the clinical signs may be similar to other causes of colic, difficulty eating and weight loss. 

Ante-mortem diagnosis is based on epidemiological factors and clinical findings for which rectal examination plays a crucial role.  The use of ancillary diagnostic techniques such as blood sampling, peritoneal fluid analysis, oesophageal motility tests and application of eye drops may be useful.

The only method of obtaining a definitive diagnosis is examination of the nerve cells after biopsy, a technique known as histopathology.

This picture shows the characteristic degeneration of nerve cells in a biopsy sample, considered characteristic for EGS.