Vaping-associated esophagitis

Vaping, or e-cigarettes, heat nicotine and other chemicals to create a vapor that is inhaled. The practice has gained rapid popularity with 41 million people globally reporting regular or occasional use. Although tobacco smoking is well-known to increase esophageal acid exposure by augmenting the number of reflux events, the effects of vaping on the gastrointestinal tract have not yet been elucidated. Our objective is to report a case of severe esophagitis associated with vaping, which is the first in the literature to our knowledge.

A 25-year-old male with a history of well-controlled gastro-esophageal reflux disease presented to the emergency room for evaluation of one week of severe odynophagia. He had been treated with a proton-pump inhibitor for several years with good effect. Approximately two months prior to presentation, he started vaping tetrahydrocannabinol and nicotine with recent heavy daily use. He denied any alcohol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. We performed esophagogastroduodenoscopy that revealed Los Angeles Grade C esophagitis (involving ≥ 1 mucosal breaks continuous between tops of ≥ 2 mucosal folds, < 75% circumferential). Histopathological analysis of esophageal biopsies demonstrated granulation tissue with acute and chronic inflammation. Periodic acid-Schiff-diastase staining was negative and immunohistochemical stains for herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus were negative. There was no evidence of eosinophilic esophagitis. We treated him with intravenous PPI and analgesics until he was able to tolerate oral intake. He was counseled extensively on vaping cessation and reported complete resolution of symptoms after 2 months.

This patient's presentation illustrates a serious gastrointestinal consequence of vaping, the long-term consequences of which warrant additional studies. Like smoking, the mechanism of injury in vaping may be, at least in part, due to the effects of nicotine. As prevalence of vaping continues to rise, clinicians should be aware of this complication and carefully solicit a patient's vaping history as a simple denial of "smoking" can be misleading.