Killian-Jamieson Diverticulum in a 15-Year-Old Patient: A Rare Pediatric Radiologic Case Report

Abstract

Killian-Jamieson diverticulum (KJD) is a rare pharyngoesophageal diverticulum arising from a muscular defect in the anterolateral wall of the proximal cervical esophagus, located just inferior to the cricopharyngeus muscle and superolateral to the longitudinal fibers within the Killian–Jamieson area. Its incidence is approximately one-quarter that of Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD), with an estimated prevalence of 0.025% in the general population. Reports in the pediatric population are exceedingly uncommon, suggesting a potential congenital etiology. Although frequently asymptomatic, KJD may present with nonspecific clinical manifestations, most notably dysphagia, as well as globus sensation, regurgitation, or chronic cough. Diagnosis is most reliably achieved with barium esophagography, which demonstrates the characteristic lateral outpouching. Computed tomography (CT) or endoscopy may assist in excluding alternative cervical pathologies. We present the case of a 15-year-old female who underwent open diverticulectomy with cricothyroid myotomy under general anesthesia, with an uneventful postoperative course and no evidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury or fistula formation at two weeks of follow-up.

Keywords: Barium esophagography, esophageal diverticulectomy, killian-jamieson diverticulum, pediatric dysphagia, recurrent laryngeal nerve