[Esophageal diverticula. Clinical aspects and therapy]

18 patients (10 male, 8 female) with an average age of 57 years were operated for diverticula of the esophagus. We found 11 pharyngoesophageal diverticula, 5 parabronchial and 2 epiphrenic diverticula. Major symptoms were dysphagia and regurgitation in pharyngoesophageal diverticula. Dysphagia, substernal pain and hiccough in parabronchial and epiphrenic diverticula. The treatment was resection of diverticula which was combined with myotomy in case of pharyngoesophageal diverticula. 2 patients had severe secondary wound healing. Other postoperative dysfunctions of the esophagus or symptomatic recurrences were not seen.