Esophageal obstruction due to a right-sided Zenker diverticulum

A Zenker's or pharyngoesophageal diverticulum may represent a rare cause of upper digestive obstruction, or more often, cervical dysphagia, regurgitations and cough. It develops most often on the posterior left side of cervical oesophagus in elderly patients, and depending on the severity of clinical symptoms may warrant surgical or endoscopic treatment. For large lesions with a difficult endoscopic access to the diverticular neck, surgery is recommended. In our case, we illustrate a giant right-sided Zenker's diverticulum responsible for complete aphagia in a 78-year-old male patient. Open surgery by right cervical approach, with diverticulopexy and cricopharyngeal myotomy was performed, with an uneventful recovery. This paper presents with preoperative and intraoperative illustrations of high educational value for this, often underdiagnosed, clinical entity.