Work

Prevalence of dysphagia and eosinophilic esophagitis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease or type 2 inflammation: a cross-sectional multicenter screening study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic, type-2 inflammation-driven disease causing dysphagia. Although patients with other type-2 inflammatory diseases (type-2 ID) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have an increased risk of EoE, there is limited information about the prevalence of EoE in these specific populations. Objectives: This study aims to assess the prevalence of clinically relevant dysphagia as well as underlying EoE in patients with type-2 ID or IBD. Design: This is a cross-sectional, multicenter study of patients with type-2 ID (asthma, rhinosinusitis with polyposis nasi, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergies) or IBD from the Medical University of Vienna and Floridsdorf Allergy Center. Methods: Patients were screened for esophageal dysphagia using the Brief Esophageal Dysphagia Questionnaire (BEDQ). Relevant dysphagia was defined as a BEDQ score ⩾4, or having a history of bolus impaction or emergency department visit due to dysphagia within the past year. Endoscopy with esophageal biopsies was offered to all patients with relevant dysphagia to screen for EoE. Results: = 61) reported relevant dysphagia. Endoscopy with biopsies was performed in 22 patients, and 18 patients had undergone endoscopy the year prior to the study. In total, 6 newly diagnosed cases of EoE were observed, while 7 patients had a known history of EoE, resulting in an overall prevalence of 13 patients (1.9%). Patients with any type-2 ID had numerically more EoE (2.7%) than patients with IBD (1.9%). Conclusion: While the prevalence of dysphagia among patients with type-2 ID and IBD may not exceed that of the general population, the prevalence of EoE in these populations may be higher than previously recognized.

Source: Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology

DOI: 10.1177/17562848261470325