title: Acute Herpes Simplex Viral Esophagitis Occurring in 5 Immunocompetent Individuals With Eosinophilic Esophagitis.
abstract: Herpes simplex esophagitis (HSE) is an acute, severe viral infection of the esophagus, rarely occurring in immunocompetent individuals. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a rare immune-mediated esophageal disorder. We recently observed 5 severe HSE cases in diagnosed EoE patients. Four of the 5 patients had active, untreated EoE at the time of infection, so HSE is not likely a side effect of swallowed topical corticosteroids, the first-line medical treatment of EoE. However, this coincidence of these 2 rare conditions raises the question of a causal relationship between these 2 forms of esophagitis, and whether active EoE might predispose to HSE infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital, Lucerne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital, Lucerne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dominique H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Criblez
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Evan S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Dellon
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Histopathology Viollier, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bussmann
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Kantonsspital, Lucerne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pfeifer
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital, Olten, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Froh
authors.affiliation: Swiss EoE Clinic, Olten, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Straumann