[Acute Diseases of the Esophagus - Esophagitis].

Acute Diseases of the Esopagus - Esophagitis Inflammation of the esophagus can be caused by various conditions including gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), immunosuppression, infections, allergens, or distinct medications. GERD will be covered in a separate article. Clinical symptoms include heartburn, retrosternal pain, dysphagia, or fetor ex ore. Bleeding, strictures, or stenoses can occur as local complications. Besides a detailed medical history, diagnostic tools are usually an accurate physical examination and flexible endoscopy including histological and microbiological sampling. Immunosuppressive drugs, HIV, malignancies, and chronic alcohol abuse are often associated with candida esophagitis which is typically treated with fluconazole. History of allergies is especially relevant for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) which mostly affects young patients and can be treated with topical steroids. A rare but important differential diagnosis to EoE is esophageal lichen planus.