• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Herpes esophagitis

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Definition:

Herpes esophagitis is an infection causing inflammation and ulcers in the esophagus. It is caused by the herpes simplex virus.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Infection of the esophagus by the herpes simplex virus in individuals with normal immune systems is very rare and usually runs its course without treatment, but severe and persistent esophagitis can occur in an immunosuppressed or immunodeficient person.

Herpetic esophagitis causes excruciating pain when swallowing. The infection is frequently associated with fever and occasionally chills. Healthy individuals recover spontaneously in 3 to 5 days but those with weakened immune systems take longer.

• Review Date: 2/13/2006
• Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.