Orginal articleEosinophilic esophagitis in adults: An emerging problem with unique esophageal features☆
Section snippets
Patients and methods
As a result of earlier experience with EE in a group of patients with a small-caliber esophagus,4 a registry of patients with EE was established. During the years 1999 through 2002, 29 additional patients (21 men, 8 women; mean age 35 years, range 19–65 years) with EE were identified. Twenty-seven were evaluated by using a standard questionnaire and personal interview before or after endoscopic biopsy confirmation of EE (two patients). The medical records of all patients were reviewed. Patients
Results
The majority of patients (24 of 29; 83%) were referred for evaluation because of dysphagia that occurred exclusively with ingestion of solid foods. Eight of these patients (33%) had one or more documented episodes of food impaction that required endoscopic removal. Five patients experienced repetitive episodes of dysphagia as teenagers. Only 8 of the 29 patients (28%) had a history of chronic heartburn, although the majority were referred with a diagnosis of “refractory” GERD. Twelve patients
Discussion
The occurrence of EE in adults has been recognized only recently.1., 2., 3. In a span of 3 years, increasing numbers of relatively young adults with unexplained dysphagia with ingestion of solid food have been encountered by us. In many cases, repetitive diagnostic studies were unproductive despite persistence of dysphagia. Occult or recalcitrant acid reflux disease frequently was the explanation given for the problem.
In the present series, 25 of 29 patients with EE had unique esophageal
References (21)
- et al.
Eosinophilic esophagitis: its just not kids stuff
Gastrointest Endosc
(2002) - et al.
Topical corticosteroid treatment of dysphagia due to eosinophilic esophagitis in adults
Mayo Clin Proc
(2003) - et al.
Clinical and endoscopic features of eosinophilic esophagitis in adults
Gastrointest Endosc
(2003) - et al.
Congenital esophageal stenosis
Clin Radiol
(1985) - et al.
Congenital esophageal stenosis in adults
Am J Gastroenterol
(2000) - et al.
Eosinophilic esophagitis in a patient with vigorous achalasia
Gastroenterology
(1978) - et al.
The ringed esophagus: histological features of GERD
Am J Gastroenterol
(2001) - et al.
AGA technical review on the evaluation of food allergy in gastrointestinal disorders
Gastroenterology
(2001) - et al.
Idiopathic eosinophilic esophagitis is associated with a TH2-type allergic inflammatory response
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2001) - et al.
Eosinophilic esophagitis attributed to gastroesophageal reflux: improvement with an amino acid-based formula
Gastroenterology
(1995)
Cited by (274)
Eosinophilic esophagitis. A not so rare clinical case
2022, SemergenNonreflux Esophagitis
2019, Shackelford's Surgery of the Alimentary Tract: 2 Volume SetIngested Foreign Objects and Food Bolus Impactions
2019, Clinical Gastrointestinal EndoscopyTissue Sampling, Specimen Handling, and Laboratory Processing
2019, Clinical Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- ☆
Presented in abstract form at Digestive Diseases Week, May 19–23, 2002, San Francisco, California (Gastroenterology 2002;122:M1718).