NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — Eosinophilic esophagitis affects an estimated 52/100,000 Americans, while eosinophilic gastritis/colitis affects about 28/100,000, according to the results of the first nationwide study to investigate the disease burden of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders.
The study, conducted via an e-mail survey of pediatric and adult gastroenterologists, demonstrated wide variations in the rates of both EoE and eosinophilic gastritis/eosinophilic colitis (EG/EC) in different parts of the country, with rates highest in the Northeast, followed by the South, the Midwest, and the West, Dr. Wendy M. Book said at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
Electronic surveys were e-mailed to 10,833 physicians. The total response rate was 17%, including 866 allergy-immunology specialists, 333 pediatric gastroenterologists, and 602 adult gastroenterologists.
Based on the survey responses and U.S. census data, Dr. Book said an estimated 158,705 patients have EoE, with a prevalence of 52.2 per 100,000 population. For EG/EC, the pediatric gastroenterologists reported seeing an average of 8.9 patients per year, while the adult gastroenterologists reported 5.9 per year, for an estimated 85,281, or 28.1/100,000, said Dr. Book, of the department of internal medicine at Emory University, Atlanta.
Disclosures: Dr. Book is president of the nonprofit organization American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders. She has no relevant conflicts of interest.