Are esophageal diverticula serious?

Are esophageal diverticula serious?

Typically, esophageal diverticula are nuisances that enlarge slowly over many years, gradually producing increasing symptoms, such as dysphagia, regurgitation and aspiration pneumonia, caused by breathing in regurgitated diverticula content.

When symptoms of esophageal diverticula worsen, a person may be unable to swallow due to an obstruction near the diverticulum; rarely, the esophagus may rupture. An obstruction or rupture caused by an esophageal diverticulum is dangerous, and both complications require immediate attention.

Regurgitation caused by a diverticulum often occurs at night when lying down, which can lead to choking, aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection caused by pulmonary aspiration, the entry of secretions or foreign material into the trachea and lungs), and lung abscesses.

Although rare, squamous cell carcinoma can develop in 0.5 percent of those with diverticula. This is thought to be caused by chronic irritation of the diverticula by prolonged food retention. It is important to note that the fear of cancer is not a reason to surgically treat diverticula.