title: 14 years of eosinophilic esophagitis: clinical features and prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the natural history of treated and untreated eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) and examine the presenting symptoms of EE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective and prospective chart review of all patients diagnosed with EE at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. EE was defined as greater than 20 eosinophils per high power field after treatment with reflux medications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 620 patients in our database in the last 14 years and 330 patients with greater than 1 year of follow-up for analysis. The number of new EE patients has increased on an annual basis. Of the patients presenting with EE, 68% were younger than 6 years old. Reflux symptoms and feeding issues/failure to thrive were the most common presenting symptoms for EE. Eleven patients had resolution of all of their food allergies and 33 patients had resolutions of some of their food allergies. No patients have progression of EE into other gastrointestinal disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EE is a chronic disease with less than 10% of the population developing tolerance to their food allergies. EE does not progress into other gastrointestinal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Immunology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA. spergel@email.chop.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Spergel
authors.forename: Terri F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Brown-Whitehorn
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Beausoleil
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franciosi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shuker
authors.forename: Ritu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Chris A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Liacouras
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003680:Deglutition Disorders; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D014839:Vomiting
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones