Prevalence of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease in Egyptian Patients

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background: </bold>Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) stands out as a highly common gastrointestinal ailment, marked by a variety of symptoms and lesions affecting both the esophagus and other areas, caused by the backward flow of stomach contents into the esophagus. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has emerged as an important alternative diagnosis in individuals experiencing persistent GERD symptoms. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how widespread EoE is among Egyptian patients who do not respond adequately to GERD treatments. Esophageal tissue samples were collected from all patients exhibiting persistent GERD symptoms. EoE was diagnosed when esophageal mucosal biopsies revealed a minimum of 15 eosinophils per high-power field (HPF), along with symptoms indicating esophageal dysfunction and ruling out other causes of eosinophilia. <bold>Results: </bold>In our latest study, we included 300 patients with persistent GERD symptoms. These patients were categorized into two groups: those diagnosed with EoE (n=12) and those without the condition (n=288). Dysphagia emerged as the predominant symptom in patients with EoE. The symptoms experienced by EoE patients closely resembled those of individuals with refractory GERD, with both groups reporting abdominal pain (100%, 87.5%) and heartburn (100%, 100%). Consequently, it is essential to conduct examinations and obtain biopsies from these patients to rule out EoE. <bold>Conclusion: </bold>The occurrence of EoE among Egyptian patients with persistent GERD symptoms was determined to be 4%. Ie is relatively rare in individuals with refractory GERD symptoms.