Esophageal diverticulum
Updates to Article Attributes
Body
was changed:
Oesophageal diverticula are sac or pouch projections arising from the oesophagus.
Epidemiology
They can occur in all ages but more frequent in adults and elderly people.
Pathology
Oesophageal diverticula are either:
-
true diverticula: include all
esophagealoesophageal layers - false diverticula: contain only mucosa and submucosa herniating through the muscular layer (e.g. Zenker's diverticulum)
Oesophageal diverticula are classified according to the mechanism of formation into:
- traction diverticula: occurs secondary to pulling forces on the outer aspect of the oesophagus
- pulsion diverticula: occurs secondary to increased intraluminal pressure (e.g. Zenker diverticulum)
Classification
They can be classified according to their location:
Upper oesophageal diverticula
- Zenker diverticulum: actually pharyngeal but it is common practice to include it with oesophageal diverticula
- Killian-Jamieson diverticulum
Middle oesophageal diverticula
- traction diverticula: are (true diverticula) which occur secondary to scarring, fibrosis and inflammatory processes (tuberculous adenitis) in the mediastinum pulling on the oesophageal wall
-
pulsion diverticula: are usually false diverticula and occur secondary to abnormal increased intraluminal pressure against a weak
esophagealoesophageal segment
Lower oesophageal diverticula
-<strong>true diverticula</strong>: include all esophageal layers</li>- +<strong>true diverticula</strong>: include all oesophageal layers</li>
-<a href="/articles/pulsion-diverticula-of-the-oesophagus">pulsion diverticula</a>: are usually false diverticula and occur secondary to abnormal increased intraluminal pressure against a weak esophageal segment</li>- +<a href="/articles/pulsion-diverticula-of-the-oesophagus">pulsion diverticula</a>: are usually false diverticula and occur secondary to abnormal increased intraluminal pressure against a weak oesophageal segment</li>
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