K22.5: Diverticulum of oesophagus, acquired

Your esophagus is enlarged in one or more places.

The esophagus or gullet connects the mouth with the stomach. It is made up of a muscular tube. The muscles in the esophagus move food into the stomach. The inside of the oesophagus is hollow and lined with mucous membrane.

An enlarged place in the esophagus occurs because the wall of the esophagus bulges out in this area. It may be that it is only the mucous membrane that is bulging. However, all wall layers can also be affected by the bulging.

There are various reasons for such protrusions. A bulging of the wall typically results from increased pressure within the esophagus. Protrusions of this kind may also develop as a result of scars and adhesions in the ribcage outside the gullet.

A bulge in the esophagus is not necessarily accompanied by problems. However, this kind of bulging may also cause various problems. Swallowing may cause problems. These include pain or a burning sensation behind the sternum, for example. Some of the food that has been swallowed can accumulate in a bulge and be broken down by bacteria. There may then be an unpleasant smell when one breathes through one's mouth. Food might also come back into the mouth from the esophagus, particularly when lying down.