Imaging of pharyngocele: An occupational overuse syndrome

Abstract

Pharyngocele is a rare pathology of the pharynx caused by the laxity of the thyrohyoid membrane. Only about 60 true lateral pharyngocele cases have been reported in the literature over the last 133 years. Laryngocele is a close differential, and the two are difficult to tell apart. Though they have been described well in the literature, they are often misdiagnosed or interchangeably diagnosed. The acquired type of pharyngocele is due to prolonged increased intrapharyngeal pressure and pharyngeal wall weakness, and it is more common than congenital pharyngoceles. Close differential diagnoses include Zenker’s diverticulum, laryngocele, and jugular venous phlebectasia. Acquired lateral pharyngoceles are seen in wind instrument musicians and glassblowers. Hence, these diverticula are described as ‘overuse syndrome’. We present a case of bilateral neck swelling, which occurred doing the Valsalva maneuver with imaging studies.