Symptoms and Diagnosis of EGPA

What Are the Symptoms of EGPA?

EGPA can affect blood vessels in many different organs so there are a wide range of symptoms depending on which organs are affected.

Nearly everyone living with EGPA will experience these signs and symptoms:

• Feeling frequently ill and tired
• Loss of appetite, resulting in weight loss
• Fever
• Asthma and/or sinus polyps
• A higher-than-normal level of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell

Patients can also have any number of these symptoms depending on the organ affected:

• Shortness of breath
• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Rashes on the skin
• Muscle and/or joint pain
• Nasal discharge
• Facial pain
• Abdominal pain or bloody stools
• Numbness or loss of strength 
• Tingling in hands and feet
• Kidney disease

When to See Your Doctor

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with EGPA or are experiencing these symptoms, consult your healthcare provider and request an evaluation.  The Vasculitis Foundation has tools to assist in locating a care center.

How It's Diagnosed

Because EGPA is so rare and the symptoms so varied, it can be a challenge to get a correct diagnosis. A correct diagnosis may take years, which is immensely frustrating for patients seeking answers to their symptoms. 

Diagnosing EGPA will require a series of steps starting with a detailed history to uncover the unique combination of symptoms and signs that may lead your doctor to suspect EGPA and diagnostic tests that will confirm the prognosis. A typical path to diagnosis will look similar to these steps:

• A clinical exam, where your doctor will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. Your doctor will look for a history of asthma, allergies and other EGPA signs and symptoms. 
• Blood tests to check your white blood count and determine if eosinophils percentages are greater than 5% of your total white blood cells.
• An urinalysis to determine if there are too many red blood cells or protein in your urine.
• A chest X-ray or CT scan to look for abnormalities in the lungs or sinuses. 
• A biopsy, also called a tissue sample, may be ordered if abnormal findings are seen in the above tests to look for eosinophils, eosinophilic granulomas and/or vasculitis.