Abstract
Cricopharyngeus muscle specimens obtained during bilateral lateral cricopharyngeal myotomy were examined histopathologically. Ten cases of dysphagic patients with neuro-muscular diseases were subjected to this study. The results were summarized as follows; 1. In three cases, myogenic atrophy was found unilaterally. The histopathological feature was scattered muscular atrophy with slight fibrosis in these cases. 2. Four cases with unilateral nuclear and/or infranuclear vagal paralysis showed a group muscular atrophy and degeneration of muscle fibers ipsilaterally. 3. Four cases clinically presented with a failure of appropriate relaxation of the esophageal inlet. Two of them showed neurogenic muscular atrophy whereas the other two did not show such a histopathological feature. 4. In two cases of Wallenberg's syndrome neurogenic muscular atrophy was found in the cricopharyngeus and thyropharyngeus muscles. 5. There was no positive histopathological findings in the cricopharyngeus muscle of a case with cricopharyngeal dysphagia.
