Bryan Sauer, MD, MSc, and Rob are paid consultants for Takeda.
Awareness of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a progressive, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the esophagus, has increased substantially over the past decade, yet challenges in recognition and management remain.1,2,3 Bryan Sauer, MD, MSc, a gastroenterologist at the University of Virginia Health, notes that while EoE is now more commonly discussed during medical training, early signs of the disease may still be overlooked in routine clinical practice.2-4
"One of the challenges is that patients do not always describe the symptoms they are experiencing as a problem," Sauer explains. "They adapt. They chew longer, avoid certain foods or change how they eat, and unless you ask directly, you may not realize a patient has issues with swallowing, or dysphagia."
For many people living with EoE, these adaptive behaviors can contribute to delayed evaluation and diagnosis.2 When inflammation of EoE is uncontrolled, it can progress causing esophageal remodeling and fibrostenotic complications, such as strictures, over time.2,3 These can lead to increased food impactions that may necessitate urgent endoscopic intervention in some patients.3,5
