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Stanford Health Care

Diagnosis

How We Can Help You 

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) occurs when an unusually high number of a certain type of white blood cells, called eosinophils, respond to an allergic-like reaction in your esophagus. While EoE is still a rare disease, the number of people diagnosed with this condition has grown significantly over the past decade. EoE is now the most common cause of swallowing problems in people under age 40. 

At Stanford, we plan a minimally invasive approach to treatment to help you recover faster and avoid certain complications. We use the latest technology to diagnose the condition, so you can lead a healthier, symptom-free life.

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Esophagus Center: David's Story

What We Offer You for Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)

  • Specialist care from board-certified doctors with decades of experience diagnosing and treating rare esophageal diseases like EoE.
  • Multispecialty approach with gastroenterologists, allergists, dietitians, and nurses, working together to plan the best diagnostic and treatment options for you.
  • Unmatched ability to quickly and accurately diagnose EoE using the latest technological advances, all in one centralized location. 
  • Advanced technology, including the latest catheters, endoscopes, and probes, that are used to diagnose and provide effective treatment for EoE.
  • Minimally invasive treatment plans, including medications and dietary changes, that help manage the condition without the need for surgery.
  • Access to clinical trials, providing the latest, most advanced therapies for EoE before they are widely available.
  • Integrated clinical services that bring our specialists and equipment under one roof, for greater convenience and access to care. 

Treatment for Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)

The Esophagus Center uses the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies to find solutions for managing EoE. Our knowledgeable doctors are experienced in certain procedures, like esophageal dilation and EndoFlip, that other health care centers may not offer.

Because of the nature of EoE, the Esophagus Center doctors closely collaborate with specialists in immunology and nutrition. Working together, we find the best, least invasive treatment solutions for you, so you can lead a symptom-free, healthier life.

The Esophagus Center offers all treatment services in one convenient location.

Lifestyle and Dietary Modification

Our nutritionists work with you to find dietary changes, including avoiding trigger foods, that may help manage symptoms of EoE without other forms of treatment.

Medications

If dietary changes alone are not enough to manage EoE, certain medications may help reduce or eliminate symptoms. Our doctors may treat you with one or more of these medications:

  • Topical steroids: This type of medication helps control inflammation in your esophagus.
  • Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): PPIs help reduce stomach acid, and some research indicates that these medications have anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Supplemental nutrition: Customized elimination and elemental diets may be options for people who are having difficulty getting enough nutrition.

Endoscopy

Our skilled team of doctors are trained in the latest minimally invasive techniques for stretching the esophagus. We offer dilation, an advanced endoscopic procedure, for safe, effective treatment. 

Your doctor guides an endoscope (thin, flexible tube containing a miniature light) down the throat to visualize the inside of the esophagus. Using special tools, the doctor dilates, or stretches, the esophagus.

Stanford is one of a few sites in the country offering EndoFlip to measure the diameter of the esophagus and how wide it can stretch, for EoE. Recent research suggests that the results of this test may predict the risk of food impaction (food getting stuck in the esophagus). Your doctor may combine EndoFlip with other endoscopic procedures.

Clinical Trials

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Open Clinical Trials

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We offer one of the nation’s most robust clinical trial programs for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). These research studies evaluate new medical approaches, devices, drugs, and other treatments.

Open trials refer to studies currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.

To learn more about the clinical trials we offer, contact Divya Pathak at 650-721-8436.

Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.

What is Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)?

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) Diagnosis

The best way to diagnose EoE is to examine a tissue sample (biopsy) under a microscope. However, if you have symptoms of GERD, we may also test for this condition because it can affect your treatment plan.

The Esophagus Center offers advanced diagnostic tests, such as 24-hour esophageal studies and esophageal manometry, that help us learn more about the condition, so we can determine the best treatment.

You may undergo one or more tests, including:

  • 24-hour esophageal pH/impedance study: Using a tube with an acid (pH) sensor at the tip and impedance sensors throughout the catheter, this test measures acid and non-acid levels in your esophagus over a 24-hour period.
  • Wireless reflux monitoring: During endoscopy, the doctor secures a small probe to the inner esophagus that measures acid reflux over 48 to 96 hours. The probe sends measurements to a special monitor for evaluation. 
  • Barium esophagram: This imaging study uses a special dye (barium) to show narrowing (stricture) and other abnormalities in your esophagus.
  • Esophageal manometry: By passing a small tube through your nose to your esophagus, this test measures pressure and muscle contractions.
  • Impedance test: This test measures how liquid moves from your stomach to your esophagus.
  • EndoFlip: We perform this test during endoscopy to measure diameter and amount of stretch throughout the esophagus.
  • Upper endoscopy: We pass an endoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a lighted camera) through your mouth and esophagus and carefully examine the lining of your esophagus. We may also take a tissue sample and examine it under a microscope.

Our Clinics

Esophagus Center

Our clinic is the only one of its kind in the San Francisco Bay Area. We combine experts from several medical specialties and the latest treatment technology to create a personalized plan for managing EoE quickly and efficiently.

Esophagus Center
420 Broadway Street, Pavilion D, 2nd Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063
Phone: 650-736-5555 Getting Here
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