[The physiopathological and therapeutic aspects of esophageal diverticula]

The authors reviewed 23 surgical cases of symptomatic oesophageal diverticula. In Zenker's diverticula (7 cases) the surgical treatment consisted of extramucosal cricopharyngeal myotomy and diverticulectomy (6 patients) or diverticulum suspension (1 patient). The operations in epiphrenic (15 patients) and mid-thoracic (1 patient) diverticula were as follows: diverticulectomy, longitudinal extramucosal myotomy and antireflux surgery (11 cases); myotomy and antireflux surgery (4 cases); myotomy alone (1 patient). There was no operative mortality. Postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients (13%). 15 patients were followed for an average time of 60 months. None of them developed postoperative dysphagia. Pathogenesis, diagnostic methods and surgical options are discussed.