Background and study aims: Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is a common cause of oesophageal disease. Limited data have been reported on its epidemiology in Europe as the only available information has been estimated for Swiss adult patients, among whom a prevalence of 42.9 per 100,000 was calculated. We estimate for the first time the prevalence of EoE in adult patients in two healthcare areas located in a central region of Spain.
Patients and methods: All patients older than 16 years of age and living in the study areas appointed to two hospitals located in a central region of Spain who were consecutively diagnosed with EoE between 2005 and 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Annual incidence and period prevalence were estimated along with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%.
Results: Between January 2005 and December 2011, 40 adult patients were diagnosed with EoE in our areas, with an average overall adult reference population of 89 642. No significant differences in clinical data or prevalence figures were found between both hospitals. The average age was 29.4 years (rank 16-53), 80% of patients being younger than 40 years of age. The estimated mean annual incidence of adult EoE for the study period was 6.37 per 100 000 (95% CI: 6.31-6.44) and remained relatively stable during the study period. The period prevalence was 44.6 cases per 100 000 inhabitants (95% CI: 30-59), with a male/female ratio of 19 : 1.
Conclusion: EoE was highly prevalent in adults from central Spain, being diagnosed in one out of 2250 inhabitants older than 16 years of age.