Prevalence, clinical manifestations and endoscopic features of eosinophilic esophagitis: a pathological review in China.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine the prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and define its clinical and endoscopic characteristics in Chinese patients.

METHODS

Esophageal specimens obtained from January 2006 to December 2010 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were reviewed, and the data on clinical characteristics and endoscopic findings of patients were obtained. Patients with eosinophils ≥15 per high power field (HPF) were identified as having EoE.

RESULTS

A total of 12 patients met the criteria for EoE, establishing a prevalence of 0.34%. These patients presented with dysphagia (4/12, 33.3%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-like symptoms (3/12, 25.0%), abdominal pain (3/12, 25.0%) and others (2/12, 16.7%). The most common endoscopic finding was plaques (5/12, 41.7%), and other findings were irregular Z-line (2/12, 16.7%), erosive esophagitis (2/12, 16.7%), white exudates (1/12, 8.3%), linear furrows (1/12, 8.3%), Schatzki ring (1/12, 8.3%), ulcers (1/12, 8.3%) and erythema (1/12, 8.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of EoE was 0.34% in our patients. Clinicians should pay attention to patients manifested with dysphagia and GERD-like symptomes with endosopic findings of white exudates, plaques, Schatzki ring and linear furrows.