Synonyms
Cricopharyngeal diverticulum; Hypopharyngeal diverticulum; Pharyngoesophageal diverticulum; Pharyngoesophageal pouch; Posterior pulsion pharyngeal diverticulum; Retropharyngeal diverticulum
Definition
Pharyngoesophageal diverticulum refers to an acquired outpouching of the esophageal mucosa and submucosa, occurring in an area of relative muscular weakness. This area, known as Killian’s triangle, corresponds to the zone where the transverse fibers of the cricopharyngeus muscle intersect the oblique fibers of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle. These diverticula are false diverticula as they are a herniation of mucosa and submucosa through the muscular wall. A possible causal mechanism would be an increased luminal pressure caused by impaired upper esophageal sphincter relaxation. Other findings such as achalasia, cricopharyngeal incoordination, or congenital weakness have been implicated, and gastroesophageal reflux could also play a role. Nevertheless the exact...
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Bowdler, D. A. (2008). Pharyngeal pouches. In M. J. Gleeson (Ed.), Scott Brown’s textbook of otorhinolaryngology (7th ed., pp. 1–22). Oxford.
Case, D. J., & Baron, T. H. (2010). Flexible endoscopic management of Zenker diverticulum: The Mayo Clinic experience. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 85(8), 719–722.
Ferreira, L. E., Simmons, D. T., & Baron, T. H. (2008). Zenker’s diverticula: Pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and flexible endoscopic management. Diseases of the Esophagus, 21(1), 1–8.
Rizzetto, C., Zaninotto, G., Costantini, M., et al. (2008). Zenker’s diverticula: Feasibility of a tailored approach based on diverticulum size. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 12, 2057–2065.
Siddiq, M. A., Sood, S., & Strachan, D. (2001). Pharyngeal pouch (Zenker’s diverticulum). Postgraduate Medical Journal, 77, 506–511.
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Fidalgo, C., Faias, S. (2017). Zenker’s Diverticulum. In: Carneiro, F., Chaves, P., Ensari, A. (eds) Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1668
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1668
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