Double aortic arch: The break of silence

Abstract

Vascular rings represent 1 to 2% of cases of congenital heart disease. We report a rare case of double aortic arch. A 60-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital presenting a one-year history of dysphagia, six months of dyspnea and two months of sporadic chest pain. Radiograph of the chest revealed diffuse pulmonary hyper inflation, widening of the mediastinum, heart of normal size and shape, a right-sized aortic arch, and degenerative changes of the thoracic spine. Computed tomography of the chest showed a double aortic arch encircling and compressing the trachea and the esophagus. The right aortic arch had a larger caliber, with brachiocephalic trunk arising from it. The left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery arose from the left aortic arch. Diagnosis: tracheoesophageal vascular ring due to double aortic arch, with dominant right arch. In this case, we chose to follow the patient medically, taking into consideration the mildness of the symptoms.Keywords: Vascular malformations; congenital abnormalities; heart defects, congenital; aorta, thoracic.