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Luisa Bertin,1 Martina Crepaldi,1 Miriana Zanconato,1 Greta Lorenzon,1 Daria Maniero,1 Caterina De Barba,1 Erica Bonazzi,1 Sonia Facchin,1 Marco Scarpa,2 Cesare Ruffolo,2 Imerio Angriman,2 Andrea Buda,3 Fabiana Zingone,1 Edoardo Vincenzo Savarino,1 Brigida Barberio1 1Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; 2Chirurgia Generale 3 Unit, Azienda Ospedale Università di Padova, Padua, Italy; 3Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Oncological Gastrointestinal Surgery, Feltre, ItalyCorrespondence: Edoardo Vincenzo Savarino, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy, Tel +39-049-8217749, Fax +39-049-8760820, Email edoardo.savarino@unipd.itAbstract: Crohn’s disease (CD) is a complex, chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by unpredictable flare-ups and periods of remission. Despite advances in treatment, CD remains a significant health burden, leading to substantial direct healthcare costs and out-of-pocket expenses for patients, especially in the first-year post-diagnosis. The impact of CD on patients’ quality of life is profound, with significant reductions in physical, emotional, and social well-being. Despite advancements in therapeutic options, including biologics, immunomodulators, and small molecules, many patients struggle to achieve or maintain remission, leading to a considerable therapeutic ceiling. This has led to an increased focus on novel and emerging treatments. This context underscores the importance of exploring advanced and innovative treatment options for managing refractory CD. By examining the latest approaches, including immunomodulators, combination therapies, stem cell therapies, and emerging treatments like fecal microbiota transplantation and dietary interventions, there is an opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of how best to address and manage refractory cases of CD. Keywords: refractory Crohn’s disease, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, medical therapy, combination therapy, fecal microbiota transplantation, biologic drugs, perianal Crohn’s disease, small molecules, hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Pierfrancesco Visaggi,1,* Matteo Ghisa,2,* Edoardo Vespa,3 Alberto Barchi,3 Amir Mari,4 Andrea Pasta,5 Elisa Marabotto,5,6 Nicola de Bortoli,1 Edoardo Vincenzo Savarino2 1Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; 2Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; 3Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, 20132, Italy; 4Gastroenterology Unit, Nazareth Hospital EMMS, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; 5Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 6IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Edoardo Vincenzo Savarino, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua, 35128, Italy, Tel +39-049-8217749, Email edoardo.savarino@unipd.itAbstract: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic type 2 inflammation-mediated disease characterized by an eosinophil-predominant inflammation of the esophagus and symptoms of esophageal dysfunction. Relevant treatment outcomes in the setting of EoE include the improvement of histology, symptoms, and endoscopy findings, quality of life (QoL), and the psychological burden of the disease. Established validated tools for the assessment of EoE include questionnaires on dysphagia and QoL (ie, DSQ, EEsAI, and EoE-IQ). More recently, esophageal symptom-specific anxiety and hypervigilance, assessed using the esophageal hypervigilance and anxiety scale (EHAS), have emerged as contributors to disease burden, confirming the importance of psychological aspects in EoE patients. The EoE endoscopic reference score (EREFS) is the only validated endoscopy score in EoE and can quantify mucosal disease burden. However, esophageal panometry using the functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) and high-resolution manometry (HRM) have shown potential to optimize the assessment of fibrostenotic features of EoE, providing novel insights into the pathophysiology of symptoms. There is a growing number of licenced and off-label therapeutic options in EoE, with various randomized controlled trials demonstrating the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors, topical steroids, food elimination diets, biological drugs, and esophageal dilatation. However, standardized optimal management strategies of EoE are currently lacking. In this review, we provide an overview of established and novel assessment tools in EoE including patient reported outcomes, FLIP panometry, HRM, endoscopy, and histology outcome measures to improve the outcomes of EoE patients. In addition, we summarize available therapeutic options for EoE based on the most recent evidence.Keywords: eosinophilic esophagitis, treatment, monitoring