A study from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora found that esophageal stiffness could be a key biomarker for monitoring eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) progression and identifying which patients may benefit most from current therapies, according to an Aug. 15 news release.
Researchers followed 112 pediatric patients aged 3 to 18 with EoE, using endoluminal functional imaging to measure esophageal distensibility. Patients with better-controlled inflammation showed less stiffening of the esophagus, while those with lower distensibility had higher odds of dysphagia and greater risk of stricture.
The findings, published in Gastroenterology, suggest that measuring esophageal stiffness may help predict disease complications and guide treatment strategies in children with EoE.
