High-resolution EUS in children with eosinophilic "allergic" esophagitis.
BACKGROUND
The pathophysiology of dysphagia associated with eosinophilic esophagitis is unknown. This study investigated possible anatomic alterations in children with eosinophilic esophagitis in comparison with healthy children by using high-resolution EUS to precisely measure individual tissue layers of the esophagus.


METHODS
Children with eosinophilic esophagitis (n = 11) and control children (n = 8) without esophagitis were prospectively evaluated by high-resolution EUS with a 20-MHz catheter US probe during an endoscopic examination. Real-time measurements of the distal esophagus were obtained including the thickness of the total wall, combined mucosa and submucosa, muscularis propria, and circular muscle.


RESULTS
Statistically significant differences were found between patients with eosinophilic esophagitis and control patients for mean values for thickness of the total wall (respectively, 2.8 vs. 2.1 mm; p = 0.004), combined mucosa and submucosa (respectively, 1.6 vs. 1.1 mm; p = 0.001), and muscularis propria (respectively, 1.2 vs. 1.0 mm; p = 0.043). Mean values for circular muscle did not differ between patient groups.


CONCLUSIONS
High-resolution EUS reveals significant expansion of the esophageal wall and individual tissue layers including the combined mucosa and submucosa, and muscularis propria in children with eosinophilic esophagitis compared with healthy control patients.
Fox
Victor L
VL
Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Nurko
Samuel
S
Teitelbaum
Jonathan E
JE
Badizadegan
Kamran
K
Furuta
Glenn T
GT
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004804:Eosinophils; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies