Esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis, an unusual cause of dysphagia: report of a case

Abstract

Esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis (EIP) is a rare disorder of unknown etiology. On histopathology, it is characterized by dilation of the submucosal esophageal glands. The main presenting symptom is dysphagia to solid foods. Most patients diagnosed with EIP also have a history of diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal candidiasis, or chronic alcohol and nicotine abuse. Yet, the exact pathophysiologic mechanism still remains unclear. The most frequent complication, occurring in 80 % of the patients, is esophageal stricture. The mainstay of therapy is directed towards symptom relief with administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) combined with antifungals and/or endoscopic dilations, if necessary. We report a case of a 69-year-old man who presented with a 9-month history of progressive dysphagia and a 25 kg-weight loss, with typical endoscopic findings of EIP and successful response to medical therapy with oral antifungals alone.