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Zenker's
diverticulum is a small outpouching of the wall of the
throat. It develops at the junction of the throat and
the esophagus (the food pipe).
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- Symptoms include difficulty swallowing and regurgitation of food, which tends to develop very slowly over years. Patients are usually middle aged or elderly.
- Initially, symptoms are vague and include difficulty swallowing. As the pouch enlarges, patients often develop a cough, Bad Breath, and vomit up undigested food.
- Some patients may even notice a bulge in the throat, or have repeated Pneumonia infections.
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- It is generally felt that this disease is due to the loss of the elasticity of the upper part of the esophagus. This leads to the esophagus not opening normally.
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- Barium esophagogram -- involves swallowing a chalky liquid that appears in X-Rays, and illuminates the digestive tract.
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- Treatment usually involves surgically cutting the muscle in the upper part of the esophagus or surgical removal of the pouch. Significant improvement occurs in over 90% of patients. If the pouch is very small and does not cause symptoms, it can sometimes just be observed, and does not require any treatment.
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