Prevalence of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in the U.S.

A conservative estimate was 39.5 cases per 100,000, although accuracy is still limited.

Reported incidence and prevalence rates of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are on the rise. EoE is now a global health problem reported in every continent except Africa. Although its prevalence is estimated at approximately 1 in 1000 people, EoE has not been consistently defined across studies.

To estimate the prevalence of EoE in the U.S., investigators retrospectively examined 35,575,388 patient records from U.S. healthcare plan claims data. The case definition of EoE was any instance of the ICD-9 code 530.13, which occurred in 16,405 patient records. This code was previously validated in claims data for diagnosis of EoE (specificity, >99%; sensitivity, 37%). The overall prevalence was estimated within the database and then standardized to …

Reviewing Author

David A. Johnson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory boardMedscape/WebMD; Pfizer; CRH Medical Corporation; Aries

EquityCRH Medical Corporation

Editorial boardsMedscape Gastroenterology

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Gastroenterology Research Institute Board of Directors