A Multicenter Study on the Prevalence of Eosinophilic Esophagitis and PPI-Responsive Esophageal Eosinophilic Infiltration

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 51; no. 23; pp. 3235 - 3239
• Main Authors: Okuyama, Masatsugu, Watanabe, Yoshihisa, Fujiwara, Yasuhiro, Tominaga, Kazunari, Arakawa, Tetsuo, Watanabe, Toshio, Sato, Hiroshi, Oshitani, Nobuhide, Tanaka, Fumio, Hayakawa, Tsuyoshi, Tanigawa, Tetsuya, Yamamori, Kazuki, Uno, Hironori, Takaishi, Osamu, Nebiki, Hiroko, Saeki, Yoshihiko, Ohtani, Kenjiro, Sugawa, Takashi, Tatsuwaki, Hiroshi, Wada, Rikimon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biopsy; Dysphagia; Endoscopy; Eosinophilia - pathology; eosinophilic esophagitis; Eosinophilic Esophagitis - drug therapy; Eosinophilic Esophagitis - epidemiology; Eosinophilic Esophagitis - pathology; epidemiology; Esophagitis; Esophagus; Esophagus - pathology; Hospitals; Humans; Japan - epidemiology; Japanese; Leukocytes (eosinophilic); Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; proton pump inhibitor; Proton Pump Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Protons; Japan
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.51.8670

Objective Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is diagnosed by the presence of dysphagia and intraepithelial eosinophilic infiltration of ≥15 per high-power field (HPF). EoE should be distinguished from proton pump inhibitor-responsive esophageal eosinophilic infiltration (PPI-R EEI) in patients that are responsive to PPI treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of EoE and PPI-R EEI in Japanese patients in a multicenter study. Methods Ten hospitals participated in this study. Esophageal biopsy was performed when the patients had typical EoE symptoms or when endoscopic findings revealed a typical EoE appearance. EEI was defined as the intraepithelial eosinophilic infiltration of ≥15 per HPF. Patients with EEI received rabeprazole for 8 weeks to distinguish EoE from PPI-R EEI. Results A total of 13,634 subjects that underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy because of further examination or as a routine checkup were enrolled. Seventy-one (0.5%) patients suspected with EoE were examined by biopsy. A histological examination of 7 (9.9%) cases revealed EEI. Two of these 7 patients showed no symptoms and the other 5 were treated with PPI. Two (0.01%) patients were diagnosed with EoE and 3 (0.02%) with PPI-R EEI. Conclusion EoE and PPI-R EEI were rare in Japanese patients that underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.