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Eosinophilic esophagitis: the newest esophageal inflammatory disease

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 6, pages 267–278 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic esophageal inflammatory disease of undetermined pathophysiology that results in dense mucosal eosinophilia and esophageal dysfunction. In childhood, vague symptoms associated with GERD and feeding difficulties are the first manifestations of EoE. Adults typically present with dysphagia and food impaction. No pathognomonic features have been identified for EoE and, therefore, its diagnosis must be made on both clinical and histological grounds. Effective treatments rely on steroids and dietary exclusions.

Key Points

  • Eosinophilic esophagitis is a clinicopathological disease characterized by a wide variety of GERD-like symptoms, dysphagia and vomiting that occur in conjunction with dense esophageal eosinophilia

  • Esophageal eosinophilia is a common finding associated with GERD, eosinophilic esophagitis, IBD, hypereosinophilic syndrome and celiac disease

  • No pathognomonic findings in the patient's history, or laboratory, endoscopic, or histological results define eosinophilic esophagitis

  • Effective treatments for eosinophilic esophagitis include corticosteroids and dietary exclusions

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Figure 1
Figure 2: Extensive, confluent patches of white exudate in the distal esophagus of a patient with eosinophilic esophagitis.
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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Campaign for Urgent Research on Eosinophilic Diseases (CURED) and the Pappas Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Dan Atkins

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital Denver, Aurora, CO, USA

    Robert Kramer & Glenn T. Furuta

  3. Department of Pathology, The Children's Hospital Denver, Aurora, CO, USA

    Kelley Capocelli & Mark Lovell

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Correspondence to Glenn T. Furuta.

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Glenn T. Furuta has served as a Consultant for Meritage Pharmaceuticals. The other authors declared no competing interests.

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Atkins, D., Kramer, R., Capocelli, K. et al. Eosinophilic esophagitis: the newest esophageal inflammatory disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 6, 267–278 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2009.45

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