| Killian's dehiscence | |
|---|---|
 Muscles of the pharynx and cheek. (Constrictor pharyngis inferior visible at bottom left.)
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 Muscles of the pharynx, viewed from behind, together with the associated vessels and nerves. (Inf. const. labeled at bottom center.)
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| Anatomical terminology |
Killian's dehiscence (also known as Killian's triangle) is a triangular area in the wall of the pharynx between the cricopharyngeus and thyropharyngeus which are the two parts of the inferior constrictors(also see Pharyngeal pouch). It can be seen as a locus minoris resistentiae. Similar triangular area between circular fibres of cricopharyngeus and longitudinal fibres of esophagus is Lamier's triangle or Lamier-hackermann's area.
Clinical significance
It represents a potentially weak spot where a pharyngoesophageal diverticulum (Zenker's diverticulum) is more likely to occur.
Eponym
It is named after the German ENT surgeon Gustav Killian.