Medicine Grand Rounds, Evan Dellon “Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases”

The eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) represent a spectrum of conditions where high numbers of eosinophils infiltrate the GI mucosa and cause pathologic changes and clinical symptoms. They are classified by where the eosinophilic infiltration predominates. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is the most common and well-studied, and now represents a substantial cause of upper GI morbidity. In contrast, eosinophilic gastritis (EG), gastroenteritis (EGE), and colitis (EC) are rare and relatively little is known about them. This talk will review current understanding of EGIDs, including their diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, outcomes, and challenges, and will highlight research advances.

Dr. Evan Dellon is Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He also directs the UNC Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing. His research interests are in esophageal diseases, and eosinophilic esophagitis in particular. He has multiple active protocols studying the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of EoE. He collaborates with allergists, pediatric gastroenterologists, pathologists, and epidemiologists at UNC, throughout the US, and around the world.

“When you can look back at pathology samples from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, you just don’t see the level of inflammation in the esophagus, with eosinophils. People didn’t see the findings in the esophagus when they did endoscopies in the 1980’s. Something has clearly changed. The incidence is increasing. It’s becoming more and more common.”