title: Escalating incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis in Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, 1993-2013: a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the esophagus with a rapidly increasing incidence. However, population-based epidemiologic data on EoE are rare and limited to regions with less than 200,000 inhabitants. We evaluated the incidence and prevalence of EoE over time in Canton of Vaud, Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Canton of Vaud lies in the French-speaking, Western part of Switzerland. As of December 2013, it had a population of 743,317 inhabitants. We contacted all pathology institutes (n = 6) in this canton to identify patients that have been diagnosed with esophageal eosinophilia between 1993 and 2013. We then performed a chart review in all adult and pediatric gastroenterology practices to identify patients with EoE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 263 patients with esophageal eosinophilia, a total of 179 fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for EoE. Median diagnostic delay was 4 (IQR 1-9) years. No patient was diagnosed with EoE prior to 2003. Incidence of EoE increased from 0.16/100,000 inhabitants in 2004 to 6.3/100,000 inhabitants in 2013 (P < 0.001). The cumulative EoE prevalence in 2013 was 24.1/100,000. The incidence in males was 2.8 times higher (95% CI 2.01-3.88, P < 0.001) when compared to that in females. The annual EoE incidence was 10.6 times higher (95%-CI 7.61-14.87, P < 0.001) in the period from 2010 to 2013 when compared to that in the period from 1993 to 2009.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence and cumulative prevalence of EoE in Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, has rapidly increased in the past 10 years.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Giriens
authors: Institute of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Yan
authors: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Safroneeva
authors: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Zwahlen
authors: Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Reinhard
authors: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, CHUV, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Nydegger
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stadtspital Triemli, Zurich, Switzerland.|Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Vavricka
authors: Institute of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Sempoux
authors: Swiss EoE Clinic, Praxis Römerhof, Olten, Switzerland.|Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Straumann
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Schoepfer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057765:Eosinophilic Esophagitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: eosinophilic esophagitis; epidemiology; incidence; population-based; prevalence