Mucosal Inflammation: Review

Background: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), and eosinophilic colitis (EoC) have been diagnosed with an increasing frequency over the last decades. All these diseases share pathogenic similarities with respect to triggering by food antigens in the majority of patients once secondary causes of tissue eosinophilia have been excluded. While diagnostic criteria for EoE have been published, the exact criteria for EGE and EoC still need to be defined. This review highlights similarities and differences between affected patients when comparing the Western with the Eastern world. Summary: The incidence and prevalence of EoE are on the rise in countries from the Western and Eastern world. Very limited epidemiologic data exist regarding EGE and EoC. Characteristics of patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders regarding gender distribution, age at diagnosis, and associated comorbidities are similar when comparing Eastern with Western countries. Similar modalities are applied to diagnose EoE, EGE, and EoC Received: January 31, 2016 Accepted: March 2, 2016 Published online: April 22, 2016 Alain Schoepfer, MD Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois/CHUV Rue de Bugnon 44 CH–1011 Lausanne (Switzerland) E-Mail Alain.schoepfer @ chuv.ch © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel 2296–9403/16/0012–0063$39.50/0