Upper airway obstruction in an adult: An unusual presentation-dissection of the cervical aortic arch

Abstract

Cervical aortic arch is a rare congenital anomaly. It is usually asymptomatic and an incidental finding but can have symptoms of cough, hoarseness of voice, and dysphagia. Although an association with aneurysmal dilatation is described, dissection of a cervical aortic arch is hitherto an unreported complication. We report a 46-year-old womanrecently diagnosed with a cervical aortic arch, who presented with an acute upper airway obstruction leading to cardiorespiratory arrest secondary to spontaneous dissection of the cervical aortic arch.