Eosinophilic Esophagitis: The “Not-So-Rare” Disease

• Published in: Pediatric annals 2016-02, Vol.45 (2), p.e63-e66
• Main Author: Goh, Vi Lier
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Child Health; Child, Preschool; Diagnostic Tests; Eating Habits; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; Eosinophilic Esophagitis - diagnosis; Eosinophilic Esophagitis - drug therapy; Esophagus; Esophagus - pathology; Ethnic Groups; Female; Humans; Measurement Techniques; Medical diagnosis; Medical disorders; Medical Evaluation; Pain; Patients; Physical Examinations; Proton Pump Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Rare diseases; Young Children
• ISSN: 0090-4481; 1938-2359
• DOI: 10.3928/00904481-20160120-01

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a relatively newly described disorder with increasing incidence. Patients with EoE may present at all ages from childhood through adulthood. Presenting symptoms may vary from feeding refusal, gagging, and/or vomiting in the younger population, dysphagia, chest pain, and abdominal pain in adolescents, as well as emergent food impactions. However, there are strict diagnostic criteria that must be met to make the diagnosis. Specifically, the diagnosis of EoE requires at least 15 eosinophils per high-powered field in the esophageal biopsies and symptoms of esophageal dysfunction after other causes, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and proton pump inhibitor-responsive esophageal eosinophilia, have been ruled out. Common treatments include diet modifications and/or topical corticosteroids. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a relatively newly described disorder with increasing incidence. Patients with EoE may present at all ages from childhood through adulthood. Presenting symptoms may vary from feeding refusal, gagging, and/or vomiting in the younger population, dysphagia, chest pain, and abdominal pain in adolescents, as well as emergent food impactions. However, there are strict diagnostic criteria that must be met to make the diagnosis. Specifically, the diagnosis of EoE requires at least 15 eosinophils per high-powered field in the esophageal biopsies and symptoms of esophageal dysfunction after other causes, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and proton pump inhibitor-responsive esophageal eosinophilia, have been ruled out. Common treatments include diet modifications and/or topical corticosteroids. [[ Pediatr Ann . 2016;45(2):e63–e66.]