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.