Tracheal stenosis caused by congenital vascular ring anomaly misinterpreted as asthma for 45 years.
Dyspnoeic conditions simulating asthma are not uncommon in adult and paediatric practice. Vascular ring anomalies in particular may be misdiagnosed, resulting in unnecessary delay before corrective surgery. We report a rare case of symptomatic double aortic arch in an adult which emphasises the above points.
Galvin
I F
IF
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Shepherd
D R
DR
Gibbons
J R
JR
D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology