Vascular Changes in Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE), Report of an Unusual Case

Abstract

Background: Submucosal or lamina propria arteries are not often included in esophageal biopsies. We report an esophageal biopsy with eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE) overlying small arteries with medial hypertrophy to the point of obstruction. Case presentation: A two-year-old boy with a 1-year history of asthma frequently vomited after coughing. Esophageal biopsy showed EOE. Within the lamina propria there were small arteries with markedly thickened media to the point of luminal obstruction next to a hyperplastic lymphoid aggregate. There was no significant inflammatory infiltrate in the arterial walls. Subsequent biopsies did not show these vascular changes. Conclusion: Small artery changes in EOE have not previously been reported, and although the significance is unknown, in this case may be incidental to eosinophilic esophagitis.

Keywords:

• esophagitis
• eosinophilic
• vessel
• obstructive vasculopathy

Acknowledgements

Hereby we want to thank Professor M.H Collins for reviewing the case and Alireza Nourbakhsh for his kind technical support.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.