Clinical characteristics and treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis in an adult population in Colombia

Abstract

Introduction and aim

There is an increase in the incidence and prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) worldwide and data in Latin America are scarce. The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of EoE and its treatment, in adult patients in Colombia.

Patients and methods

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with EoE, with the participation of 16 gastroenterologists from different Colombian cities. Demographic and clinical variables of the patients were evaluated, along with their treatment and complications. EoE severity was calculated utilizing the clinical severity index (CSI).

Results

The study included 152 patients with EoE seen within the time frame of November 2023 and July 2024. A total of 58.6% were men and the mean patient age at diagnosis was 43.3 years (range: 18−79). The time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 32.5 months (median), with an interquartile range (25−75%) of 11.0–79.8 months. A total of 134 (88.2%) patients received treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), 66 (43.4%) had dietary treatment, 42 (27.6%) received steroids, and 9 (5.9%) underwent endoscopic dilatation. A total of 57.2% of the patients received combination therapy. Histologic remission was achieved in 68.4% of the patients and dysphagia improved in 93.4% of the cases. In relation to the CSI, histologic remission was achieved in 75.6% of the patients with mild disease activity, in 63.9% with moderate activity, and in 50% with severe activity (p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Our results showed there is an important delay in the diagnosis of EoE in Colombia. The most widely used treatment was with PPIs, but more than half the patients had combination therapy. National management guidelines that consider local treatment availability need to be developed.