A 70-Year-Old Man Comes to the Physician Because of Several

A 70-year-old man comes to the physician because of several months history of difficulty swallowing pieces of meat and choking frequently during meal times. He also sometimes regurgitates foul-smelling, undigested food particles. The patient has foul-smelling breath, but his oropharyngeal and neck examinations are normal.  Cardiopulmonary examination is also normal.  A barium swallow shows an accumulation of contrast in an outpouching of the posterior pharyngeal wall at the C5 level. Which of the following mechanisms is the most likely cause of his symptoms?

A) Cricopharyngeal motor dysfunction
B) Degenerative changes of the myenteric plexus
C) Increased intraluminal pressure in the stomach
D) Retention cyst due to duct obstruction
E) Scarring and traction of the esophagus

Correct Answer:

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