Abstract

Purpose: Data on Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in Israel is sparse. We appraised the clinical, endoscopic, and histological characteristics of 50 Israeli adults with EoE.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 50 adult patients with a diagnosis of EoE who were referred to our center at Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel from 2020 until 2024.

Results: 50 patients with EoE were included; the mean age at diagnosis was 34 years ± 9.5 years. The sex ratio of males to females was approximately 2:1 with 34 males (68%) and 16 females (32%). 22 of the 50 patients had a history of allergic diseases. Symptoms at diagnosis were as follows: Dysphagia was the primary presenting symptom observed (n=25, 50%), followed by food impaction (n=17, 34%) and GERD-like symptoms (n=14, 28%). Less frequent symptoms included vomiting, nausea, and chest pain. The most common endoscopic findings were normal mucosa (n=21, 42%) followed by trachealization (n=17, 34%), esophagitis (n=7, 14%), and exudates (n=5, 10%). 66% of the subjects were initially treated with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). 9 patients (18%) were asymptomatic without any treatment. The remaining 8 patients (16%) were given topical steroids. Clinical and histological resolution was detected in 50% of the patients who underwent a second EGD after 6 weeks-8 weeks of PPI.

Conclusion: Our current study describes the clinical features of adult patients with EoE in north Israel. This is the first demographic study in Israel that defines the clinical, endoscopic, and histological manifestations of EoE in the adult population.