Occurrence of oesophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis in patients with pre-existing benign oesophageal stricture.

Five patients with benign oesophageal stricture are described who subsequently developed oesophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis. Stricture was due to reflux oesophagitis in three patients and to lye ingestion in two. The minimum time between diagnosis of stricture and recognition of pseudodiverticulosis was two years. Most authors regard chronic inflammation as the initiating cause of pseudodiverticulosis. Although stricture is common, it generally occurs as part of the disease process and has not been regarded as a cause of the disorder. In our patients it is suggested that chronic inflammation due to stasis above a stricture, was the cause of pseudodiverticulosis. Out of the 36 cases of oesophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis already reported, we could find only one patient in whom this sequence of events occurred.