Diverticulum of the Esophagus

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The two cases of diverticulum of the esophagus which are herein reported occurred in brothers, aged 61 and 51. The lesions were almost identical in location and size. Each patient had known for several years that he had a diverticulum, and each came to operation because of difficulty in swallowing. A third brother, aged 38, had no x-ray evidence of a diverticulum. He has not had an esophagoscopy.

Although there is considerable doubt as to whether these lesions are congenital, the occurrence of these two cases in brothers suggests the possibility. Boyd¹ denies a congenital origin of diverticulum of the esophagus, and Perrone² states that he has found only two instances in the literature in which the writers were certain of the diagnosis. Jackson and Shallow³ reported a case in a child 8 years of age, who discharged particles of food through the external chest wound following a rib resection. At autopsy a small tube was found springing from the posterior lateral wall of the esophagus. Further exploration showed that it opened into the chest, which led them to believe that it was a congenital lesion. Rush and Stingily⁴ reported a case in an infant who died at the age of 20 days with a swelling at the side of the neck. At autopsy they found what appeared to be a true congenital diverticulum.

CASE REPORTS

Case 1: The patient, a 61 year old man, had always been in good health. Hi^s chief complaint was “throat trouble”. For an indefinite. . .