Zenker's Diverticulum
Zenker's diverticulum is a pouch that forms in the upper part of the swallowing passage and can cause regurgitation, bad breath, cough, or trouble swallowing.
When to get help quickly: Prompt review is important if swallowing is getting worse, there is repeated choking, chest infection, or noticeable weight loss.
Common symptoms
Common symptoms include difficulty swallowing, bringing food back up after swallowing, bad breath, coughing, a feeling that food is stuck, and sometimes weight loss.
When imaging helps
Imaging helps show the pouch clearly, show how large it is, and explain whether it is trapping food during swallowing.
What radiology does
A fluoroscopic swallowing study can show the pouch clearly and help define how it behaves during swallowing.
What usually happens next
Treatment depends on symptoms and may include observation or procedure-based or surgical correction in more troublesome cases.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.