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Diagnosis and treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis in Japan

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Abstract

Patients in Japan affected by eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), considered to be a dietary allergen related chronic esophageal disease, are slowly increasing. For diagnosis, careful assessments of atopic diathesis and symptoms, an endoscopic examination focusing on EoE characteristic findings, and histopathological examination of appropriate biopsy samples are important. When clinicopathological examination results suggest EoE, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) administration should be attempted to determine the response (PPI-responsive esophageal eosinophilia, PPI-REE). For PPI-refractory cases, oral topical glucocorticoid administration is the first therapeutic option, followed by systemic glucocorticoids as necessary. Evidence-based guidelines are currently under development in Japan for standardizing diagnosis and treatment.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Health and Labour Sciences research grants for research on intractable diseases from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enya, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan

    Yoshikazu Kinoshita, Norihisa Ishimura, Tsuyoshi Mishiro & Shunji Ishihara

  2. Health Center, Shimane Environmental and Health Public Corporation, Matsue, Japan

    Kyoichi Adachi

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  1. Yoshikazu Kinoshita
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  2. Norihisa Ishimura
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Correspondence to Yoshikazu Kinoshita.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Conflict of interest

Yoshikazu Kinoshita received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Eisai, Otsuka, Daiichi-Sankyo, and Takeda Pharmaceutical.

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Kinoshita, Y., Ishimura, N., Mishiro, T. et al. Diagnosis and treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis in Japan. Esophagus 14, 66–75 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10388-016-0550-8

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