Pharyngeal-esophageal diverticulum

Abstract

Although pharyngoesopageal diverticuli are relativelyinfrequent, they should be taken into account when consid-ering the differential diagnosis of dysphagia, halitosis, andrespiratory diseases secondary to bronchoaspiration. Wehave had experience with 8 cases operated from 1991 to2005. There were 6 males and 2 females, with a mean ageof 63 years, who complained of dysphagia, cough and hali-tosis. The diagnosis was confirmed with a barium swallow.One patient had previously had a diverticular resectionwithout myotomy and presented to us with a recurrence. Inall of our cases a wide myotomy was performed. In 3patients with small diverticuli, these were inverted by plac-ing a purse string suture at its base, resection was carriedout in 5 and in 1 a diverticulopexy was done. One patientdeveloped a fistula, which closed 2 weeks later, and the resthad an otherwise smooth postoperative course, withoutcomplications or sequelae.