Typical Asthmatic Presentation of Congenital Vascular Ring Can Masquerade a General Physician

Abstract

A 24-year-old woman was referred to pulmonologist with worsening breathlessness and wheeze. During childhood, she was diagnosed with asthma and subsequent exacerbations were treated with bronchodilators for many years. The chest X-ray and a spirometry testing raised a doubt of extrinsic tracheal compression and a subsequent enhanced chest CT (computerized tomogram) scan confirmed a right-sided aortic arch and a vascular ring anomaly compressing the trachea. Standard surgical division of ligamentum arteriosum was able to relieve the trachea and so the symptoms.