Allergy Tests Fail to Identify Food Triggers in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Histologic assessment of response to reintroduced foods during elimination diets should be the standard approach.

The ideal allergy test remains to be elucidated for identifying food antigens in patients undergoing elimination diets for treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

In this prospective, observational study, researchers in Australia assessed the accuracy of multiple allergy tests in predicting food triggers of EoE in 82 consecutive adults with histopathologically proven esophageal eosinophilia (≥15 eosinophils [EOS]/high-power field [HPF]). For 8 weeks, patients received esomeprazole 40 mg twice daily and ceased any topical corticosteroid therapy. After subsequent histopathological assessment of the esophagus, patients having ≥15 EOS/HPF were offered corticosteroids or a six-food elimination diet (6FED), consisting of eliminating and then …

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