Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42470432›Full record

Observational studyThe Laryngoscope2026

Unintentional Weight Loss Does Not Predict Poor Outcomes in Zenker Diverticulum.

Ari D Schuman, Jacqui Allen, Mekibib Altaye, Milan R Amin, Semirra L Bayan, Peter C Belafsky, Brad W DeSilva, Shumon I Dhar, Dale C Ekbom, Aaron D Friedman and 22 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in The Laryngoscope, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

32 authors.

Ari D SchumanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Jacqui AllenDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3302-7045
Mekibib AltayeDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Milan R AminDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, New York University, New York, New York, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6992-3212
Semirra L BayanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Peter C BelafskyDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.
Brad W DeSilvaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0842-9744
Shumon I DharDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9873-8641
Dale C EkbomDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8770-8463
Aaron D FriedmanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Mark FritzDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6008-1533
Glendon M GardnerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Elizabeth A GuardianiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Christopher JohnsonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Jan KasperbauerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2345-1157
Brandon KimDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Brittany N KrekelerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0469-9181
Maggie A KuhnDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7222-4175
Yue MaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1758-3276
Lyndsay L MaddenDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Laura MatrkaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9558-5202
Ross M MayerhoffDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3262-4737
Cyrus PirakaDepartment of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Apoorva RamaswamyDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Clark A RosenDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1571-1086
Haley C SibleyDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9801-7190
Meredith TabanginDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4300-5146
Carter WrightDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Z Mike YangDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Vyvy N YoungDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3095-8290
Gregory PostmaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Rebecca J HowellDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5503-0325

Funding

American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological SocietyTriological Society 2019 Research Career Development Award
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWeight loss is frequently considered a cardinal presenting symptom for patients with Zenker diverticulum (ZD). We hypothesized that weight loss in patients with cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction (CPMD), with or without diverticula, was associated with the length of symptoms and size of diverticulum.

methodsProspective, multicenter observational study of CPMD patients with and without diverticula reporting unintentional weight loss (+WL) or no weight loss (-WL) prior to enrollment in the Prospective Outcomes of Cricopharyngeal Hypertonicity (POuCH) database. Complications and symptom response using a patient reported outcome measure, the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), were compared.

resultsOf 427 patients, 101 (23.6%) were +WL. Median weight loss was 14 pounds (interquartile range [IQR] 10-25). +WL cohort had a mean age of 71.5 (standard deviation [SD] 11.5) vs. 67.9 in -WL (SD 11.6, p = 0.007). Mean preoperative EAT-10 score was 24.7 in +WL (SD 9.7) and 14.8 in -WL (SD 8.8, p < 0.0001). Higher preoperative weight loss was associated with higher preoperative EAT-10 (p < 0.0001, Spearman's ρ = 0.43). Size of diverticulum was associated with WL (p = 0.003), but weight loss was highest in both large diverticula and CP bars. Duration of symptoms was not associated with weight loss (p = 0.30). Postoperative complications in +WL and -WL patients were similar (p = 0.78).

conclusionUnintentional weight loss is common with ZD. Patients with worse dysphagia are more likely to have more weight loss. Weight loss does not increase with the size of the diverticulum or length of symptoms. Surgery has a similar safety profile with greater improvement in dysphagia in patients reporting weight loss. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3:

Indexed as

Weight LossZenker DiverticulumAgedDeglutition DisordersFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPharyngeal MusclesProspective Studiesdysphagiaoutcomesquality of lifeZenker diverticulum

Identifiers

PMID42470432
PMCPMC13669967

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.