The authors discuss in their paper the problem of Zenker’s diverticulum. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part they mention historical, anatomical and physiological aspects. Then a reflection on etiological factors of development of Zenker’s diverticulum follows. The authors mention also the symptomatology of hypopharyngeal diverticula and the most frequ- ently used diagnostic procedure. In the conclusion of the first part the authors mention therapeutic procedures used in the world and in the CR. In the second part the authors present their own group of patients with Zenker’s diverticulum. At the Department of otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery they operated in 1975 - 1997 35 patients with a hypopharyngeal diverticulum. The group comprised 22 (63%) men and 13 (37%) women. The sex ratio (i.e. men:women 2:1) is similar also in groups of other authors. The mean age of the patients was 64 years. The youngest patients was 46 years old, the oldest 81 years. The mean length of the case-history was 40 months. All patients reported dysphagia, 75% of the patients regurgitation of undigested food. A drop of body weight by more than 10% was reported by 29% patients. In 34% patients resection of the diverticulum was performed, in one patient myotomy of the m. cricopha- ryngicus. The surgical technique is described in detail. In all patients regression (21%) or disappearance of complaints (79%) resp. was recorded. In three patients revision of surgery was necessary. The authors record also the incidence of complications. Most frequent are early complications and pareses of the recurrent nerve. The postoperative results are comparable with published results of other authors quoted in the publication.

        Key words: hypopharyngeal diverticula, pharyngooesophageal diverticula, etiopathogenesis, surgical technique, results.