Peroral endoscopic myotomy for the management of symptomatic cricopharyngeal bar (C-POEM): a case series and video demonstration.

Background: A cricopharyngeal bar refers to a radiological description of a prominent cricopharyngeal muscle. While these may be incidental, they can lead to significant oropharyngeal dysphagia due to incoordination of the upper esophageal sphincter and true luminal narrowing. Various treatments have been used for the management of cricopharyngeal bar, including botulinum toxin injection, dilation, and surgical myotomy. Cricopharyngeal peroral endoscopic myotomy (C-POEM) is a novel procedure that uses the principles of "third-space" endoscopy to treat symptomatic cricopharyngeal bar.

Methods: We report a retrospective case series of 5 patients referred with oropharyngeal dysphagia to 2 UK tertiary referral centers between 2022 and 2023 who subsequently underwent C-POEM. Technical success was defined as completion of all steps of the C-POEM procedure and clinical success as a reduction in the pre-treatment Dakkak and Bennett score to ≤1, or 0 if the pre-treatment score was 1.

Results: C-POEM was associated with a technical success of 100% and clinical success of 100% over a median follow up of 2 months (interquartile range 1-8). There was 1 adverse event due to a small mucosal defect and associated leak on barium swallow, which was the result of difficult access during mucosal closure. This was managed conservatively with antibiotics. A step-by-step video demonstration of the procedure is provided.

Conclusion: C-POEM offers an alternative upfront therapy for symptomatic cricopharyngeal bar, but should be undertaken by endoscopists with significant experience in third-space endoscopy in view of the difficulty of working within the hypopharynx.