A rare type of intramural esophageal diverticulosis

Benign stenosis of the mid-thoracic esophagus developed in a 28-yr-old man. At operation, the esophageal wall was adherent to the surrounding tissues at the level of the stricture, and the esophageal wall appeared scarred and felt hard. Pathologic examination of the resected specimen showed many submucosal cystic spaces associated with mucosal depressions. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of esophageal intramural diverticulosis was made. However, some cystic spaces ran parallel to the long axis of the esophagus, and one had penetrated the muscular layers and led into the inflammatory mass. Muscularis mucosa surrounded the cystic spaces, and inflammation was slight. These findings suggest that the etiology of the esophageal diverticula of this case was a congenital malformation.