Open AccessEosinophilic Oesophagitis in Infants and Children in the Region of Southern Denmark: A Prospective Study of Prevalence and Clinical Presentation
Author(s) -
Dalby Kasper,
Nielsen Rasmus G,
KruseAndersen Soren,
Fenger Claus,
BindslevJensen Carsten,
Ljungberg Susanne,
Larsen Kirsten,
Walsted AnneMette,
Husby Steffen
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.206
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1536-4801
pISSN - 0277-2116
DOI - 10.1097/mpg.0b013e3181d1b107
Subject(s) - medicine , gerd , atopy , incidence (geometry) , eosinophilic esophagitis , population , food allergy , pediatrics , epidemiology , prospective cohort study , placebo , allergy , disease , reflux , asthma , pathology , immunology , physics , alternative medicine , environmental health , optics
Objective: Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EE) is a clinical entity characterised by a set of symptoms and eosinophilic infiltration of the oesophageal epithelium. Recent reports indicate that EE is increasingly diagnosed in paediatric patients. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of paediatric EE in a European population. Design: Infants and children in the Region of Southern Denmark were prospectively referred for further evaluation of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) after treatment failure with a proton pump inhibitor. The evaluation included endoscopy, 24‐hour oesophageal pH‐metry, histology of oesophageal biopsies, and investigations for food allergy (double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge, skin prick test, S‐IgE antibodies, atopy patch test). Results: Of the 78 referred patients, 28 qualified for a diagnosis of GERD. Six children had >15 eosinophils per high‐power field in biopsies from the oesophageal mucosa and qualified for the diagnosis of EE. The median age at diagnosis was 9.6 years. In 4 of the 6 patients, food allergy was confirmed by double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge. In the Region of Southern Denmark with a paediatric population of 256,164 between 0 and 16 years of age, a yearly incidence of EE of 0.16/10,000 was estimated. Conclusion: We report a European prospective study of EE. It was documented in 6 of 78 patients with symptoms of GERD corresponding to an annual incidence of 0.16/10,000 infants and children.