A 45-year-old woman visits the outpatient clinic with past history of dysphagia, nighttime fits of coughing, repeated chest infections, and a palpable swelling in her neck. Radiographic examination reveals the presence of a congenital pharyngeal pouch. Between which muscles is this pouch located?
High-Yield Explanation
The pharyngeal (Zenker) diverticulum is usually located between the cricopharyngeal and thyropharyngeal portions of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor. This is the most common site for development of a pharyngeal diverticulum due to the inherent weakness between the pharyngeal muscles in this location. Stasis of materials within this diverticulum can lead to inflammation, infection, and abscess. This site is also known as Killian's triangle.