Eosinophilic esophagitis is an unrecognized and emerging entity. Its incidence increases with allergic disorders. A 29-year-old man presented with a 4-year history of intermittent and paroxysmal dysphagia. The triad including allergy, young age, and impaction of foreign bodies, combined with a chronic dysphagia is almost pathognomonic of eosinophilic esophagitis. Endoscopic esophageal features can be diverse, so systematic esophageal biopsies are required. Diagnosis is established with the demonstration of an eosinophilic infiltrate with a cell count exceeding 15 eosinophils per high power field (×400). First line therapy includes swallowed topical corticosteroids and removal of an allergic cause, when it could be identified.
Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier SAS.