Abstract
Objective: Evaluate dysphagia and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in adults newly diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) at diagnosis, after 2 months of treatment with topical corticosteroid, and at least 1 year later.
Method: Between February 2008 and November 2010, 39 consecutive patients were prospectively included at a university hospital and a secondary referral hospital. The questionnaires used for evaluation were the Watson Dysphagia Scale (WDS), the EORTC QLQ-OES18 and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare scores.
Results: At inclusion, the mean scores of the WDS, the EORTC QLQ-OES18 dysphagia scale and eating scale and the SF-36 global health score were 19.1, 14.5, 35.1, and 71.2, respectively. After treatment the scores improved to 9.4 (P .0004), 4.9 (P .02), 18.9 (P .01), and 74.4 (ns). At the second follow-up (mean 2.5 years after inclusion), the corresponding scores, 12.9 (P .01), 7.6 (P .08), 20.4 (P .02), and 76.0 (ns), were still improved compared to at inclusion. While 16 patients had a history of hospitalization due to esophageal bolus impaction, no such event occurred during the study period.
Conclusion: Newly diagnosed, untreated adult EoE is associated with a substantial burden of symptoms and impaired HRQL, which improve significantly after treatment. A partial remission is still noted more than two and a half years after diagnosis.
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