Distal esophagus is the most commonly involved site for strictures in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Abstract

While strictures are common in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), there are few data on stricture distribution and characteristics. Our primary aim was to characterize strictures by location in the esophagus in EoE and associated clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features. This was a retrospective study from the UNC EoE Clinicopathologic Database of subjects with esophageal strictures or narrowing from 2002 to 2017. Strictures were categorized as distal esophagus/gastroesophageal junction, mid-esophagus, proximal esophagus, or diffusely narrowed. Stricture location was assessed and compared with clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features, and also with treatment response to diet or topical steroids. Efficacy of combination therapy with dilation and intralesional steroid injection was assessed in a sub-group of patients with strictures. Of 776 EoE cases, 219 (28%) had strictures, 45% of which were distal, 30% were proximal, 5% were mid-esophageal, and 20% had diffuse narrowing. Those with mid-esophageal strictures were younger (P = 0.02) and had shorter symptom duration (P < 0.01). Those with diffuse esophageal narrowing were more likely to be women (57%) and have abdominal pain (25%). There was no association between other clinical, endoscopic, and histologic findings and treatment response based on stricture location. Fourteen patients (8%) received intralesional triamcinolone injection and subsequently achieved a higher mean dilation diameter after injection (13.7 vs. 15.5mm; P < 0.01). In conclusion, almost half of strictures in EoE patients were in the distal esophagus. Therefore, EoE should be a diagnostic consideration in patients with focal distal strictures and not presumed to be secondary to gastroesophageal reflux disease.