Zenker Diverticulum

Zenker Diverticulum is a condition affecting the throat and esophagus, where a pouch forms in the upper part of the esophagus. This pouch can trap food, causing difficulty swallowing, coughing, and bad breath. It mainly affects older adults and can lead to discomfort and problems with eating. The condition involves a weakness in the muscle wall of the throat, which allows the pouch to bulge out. Symptoms often include a sensation of food sticking in the throat and regurgitation of undigested food. It can also cause choking or aspiration, which is when food or liquid enters the lungs. Overall, it impacts the ability to swallow safely and comfortably.

Zenker Diverticulum is a pharyngoesophageal diverticulum that arises from a herniation of mucosa through Killian's triangle, a muscular weakness between the oblique fibers of the thyropharyngeus and the transverse fibers of the cricopharyngeus muscle. It is a pulsion diverticulum caused by increased intraluminal pressure during swallowing against a dysfunctional or hypertensive upper esophageal sphincter. This outpouching is located posteriorly at the hypopharynx, just above the upper esophageal sphincter. The condition leads to symptoms such as dysphagia, regurgitation, chronic cough, and halitosis due to food retention. It is clinically significant because it can cause aspiration pneumonia and weight loss if untreated. Diagnosis and management focus on relieving the functional obstruction and preventing complications.