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Presentation and treatment of eosinophilic gastroenteritis in Busan and Gyeongnam, Korea: A multicenter study
Jin Lee, Sung Eun Kim, Ra Ri Cha, Bong Eun Lee, Cheol Woong Choi, Sam Ryong Jee
Jin Lee, Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital, Busan 48108, South Korea
Sung Eun Kim, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, South Korea
Ra Ri Cha, Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Changwon 51472, South Korea
Bong Eun Lee, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan 47241, South Korea
Cheol Woong Choi, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, South Korea
Sam Ryong Jee, Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan 47392, South Korea
Co-first authors: Jin Lee and Sung Eun Kim.
Author contributions: Lee J and Kim SE contributed to this work and were responsible for study design, data collection, and manuscript drafting, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Cha RR, Lee BE, and Choi CW contributed to data interpretation and manuscript revision; Jee SR supervised the study and approved the final version; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Supported by the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research Foundation Grant, No. KCHUGR-202302503; and Research Year of Inje University in 2024, No. 20240024.
Institutional review board statement: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of all the participating centers. The leading institution was Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital (approval number: HPIRB 2024-01-026).
Informed consent statement: The requirement for written informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Boards of all participating centers because this retrospective study used anonymized medical records.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The data underlying this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Sam Ryong Jee, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 75 Bokji-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan 47392, South Korea.
tokimom@nate.com
Received: December 2, 2025
Revised: February 9, 2026
Accepted: February 26, 2026
Published online: May 21, 2026
Processing time: 168 Days and 10.4 Hours
BACKGROUND
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a relatively rare disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal wall. Limited data are available regarding the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with EGE in Korea.
AIM
To investigate the clinical features, endoscopic findings, treatments, outcomes, and treatment response and relapse predictors in the abovementioned population.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 73 patients with histologically confirmed EGE in Busan and Gyeongnam, Korea, from 2010 to 2023. Clinical, endoscopic, laboratory, and treatment-related data were collected.
RESULTS
The median patient age was 52 years, and 50.7% of the patients were female. Of the patients, 35 had enterocolitis, 34 had gastroduodenitis, and four had gastroenterocolitis. Endoscopic abnormalities were observed in 82.2% of the patients. Proton pump inhibitors were prescribed primarily for gastroduodenitis, whereas corticosteroids were prescribed more frequently for enterocolitis and gastroenterocolitis. The clinical response rates were high for all groups (75.0%-90.3%); however, relapse occurred more frequently in patients with enterocolitis (43.3%). Male sex was associated with clinical response, although this association should be interpreted with caution; no significant predictors of relapse were identified.
CONCLUSION
Patients with EGE exhibit diverse clinical characteristics and treatment patterns. While the clinical response to primary treatment is relatively high, relapse is more common in patients with enterocolitis, indicating the need for location-based strategies and close follow-up.
Core Tip: This retrospective multicenter cohort study analyzed 73 Korean patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis. The clinical features, endoscopic findings, treatment modalities, and outcomes were evaluated based on the disease location. Corticosteroids and proton pump inhibitors were the main treatments with high clinical response rates. Relapse was more frequent in patients with colonic involvement, and male sex was suggested to be associated with a favorable treatment response. These findings provide real-world insights into eosinophilic gastroenteritis management in Korea, emphasizing the need for tailored therapies and close follow-up in high-risk groups.
