Pharmacological treatment of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) are increasingly prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, in the absence of other known causes of eosinophilia. AREAS COVERED: Clinical management of EGIDs is challenging, as there are currently limited therapeutic options available. The most common EGID is eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and rarer forms are eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and eosinophilic colitis. Clinical presentation depends on the affected GI site. Recently duodenal eosinophilia has been recognized to commonly be present in patients with functional dyspepsia. This review will provide an overview of the pathogenesis and therapeutic management of EGIDs, with particular focus on the pharmacological strategies for these conditions. Expert commentary: Despite the considerable progress made in understanding the pathogenesis of EGIDs, there is still an urgent need for the development of specific and effective therapeutic approaches. Therapeutic management protocols are required that are based on rigorous clinical investigation in large prospective controlled trials to better understand the risks, benefits and limitations of each therapy. More well-defined and consistent end-points are also required to assess treatment outcomes, as there has been variability between patient reported outcomes, clinical outcomes, and histological outcomes in the studies to date.