Increasing incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis in Sweden: a nationwide population study

Background Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the esophagus associated with dysphagia and esophageal fibrosis. The incidence of EoE is not precisely known, and significant heterogeneity in study design and disease definition have led to widely variable estimates. Through the ESPRESSO (Epidemiology Strengthened by histoPathology Reports in Sweden) study we performed a nationwide population-based study to estimate the incidence and temporal patterns of biopsy-verified EoE. Methods Between October 2015 and April 2017, we contacted all pathology departments in Sweden ( n = 28) to obtain biopsy report data on EoE. To assure a high degree of completeness, we restricted the study to 2004–2015. We then calculated age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates. Results We identified 1412 incident EoE cases between 2004–2015. The overall age-standardized incidence rates of EoE in Sweden was 1.22 per 100,000 person-years. During the study period, there was a significant increase of 33% [95%CI = 31–36%] ( P