Mucosal folds in the valleculae

Among 614 dysphagial patients radiologically examined with single films and cineradiography of the pharynx during barium swallow, 24 (3.9%) had a web-like formation in the valleculae. In 99 nondysphagial volunteers examined with cineradiography, 5 (5%) had such vallecular webs. Macroscopic examination of 190 autopsy specimens indicated that 17 (8.9%) had vallecular webs. On macro- and microscopic examination it was revealed that the web was due to a mucosal fold covering a vessel and/or lymphatic tissue. It is evident that these folds have no causal relation to dysphagia and do not cause epiglottic dysmobility during swallow.