Drug-induced esophagitis: Incidence, clinical and endoscopic findings, and management

Background and Aims: Drug-induced esophagitis is a rare condition, which presents with varying severity in terms of clinical and gastroscopic findings. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, clinical and endoscopic findings, and management of the disease in a prospective 1-year follow-up period. Materials and Methods: Overall, 4185 patients underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy at the Endoscopy Unit of Erzurum Education and Research Hospital between February 2010 and February 2011. Among these, the patients diagnosed with drug-induced esophagitis were followed up prospectively. Results: Among patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy, 1926 (46%) were males with a mean age of 47.8±18.1 years (range, 12–100 years). In total, 760 patients (18%) were diagnosed with esophagitis, of which five had drug-induced esophagitis (0.012% of gastroscopies, 0.65% of esophagitis). All patients presented with symptoms of retrosternal pain, odynophagia, and dysphagia. Four patients were young women, whereas the remaining patient was an elderly man; based on the medical history and esophagogastroduodenoscopy findings, patients diagnosed with esophagitis were using doxycycline, tetracycline, and tramadol hydrochloride capsules. Drugs that were considered to be the causative agents of esophagitis were discontinued, and proton pump inhibitors were administered parenterally or orally. The patients recovered without any complications. Conclusion: Drug-induced esophagitis is considered to be a rare condition, presenting with varying esophagogastroduodenoscopy findings and severe esophagitis in some cases. Discontinuing the causative agent and administering proton pump inhibitors are sufficient to manage the condition.