Eosinophilic oesophagitis is an increasingly recognized allergic gastrointestinal disease, which is becoming more common. Although the average age at diagnosis is 30-50 years, it often affects very young children and carries significant long-term morbidity. While our understanding of its pathophysiology is accumulating, the precise pathways by which the disease arises remain unclear. There are inconsistencies in its diagnosis and definition, and a drive towards international standardization is underway. Current methods for diagnosis and monitoring are relatively invasive, and controversies surround their interpretation. Management strategies are imperfect and involve burdensome long-term dietary exclusions, or drug treatments with uncertain efficacy or serious side-effects. It is the focus of a rapidly increasing body of research, the latest insights from which are systematically presented in this review.
© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.