OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence of safety and effectiveness of endoscopic and surgical treatment of Zenker's diverticulum. METHODS: Searches of MEDLINE, LILACS and SciELO by "Zenker's diverticulum" or "pharyngoesophageal diverticulum," and selection of studies for quality assessment and data extraction to a meta-analysis. RESULTS: The study did not find any randomized clinical trial. We found five comparative, non-randomized studies, with a total of 630 patients, 339 in the endoscopic arms and 291 in the surgical ones. The values for safety were a 0.29% mortality and 7% morbidity for the endoscopic treatment, and 0.34% mortality and 5% morbidity for surgical treatment. The values for effectiveness were 84% and 85%, respectively. The effect of endoscopic and surgical approaches for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum was comparable, the odds ratio for morbidity was 1.24 (0.56 to 2.74), and the odds ratio for success was 0.66 (0.41 -1.05). CONCLUSION: The studies on the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum have a low level of evidence and are not able to establish the best treatment in terms of safety and effectiveness.
Zenker's diverticulum; Esophageal diverticulum; Meta-analysis
