MRI of tracheal and esophageal compression following surgery for congenital heart disease.
OBJECTIVE
Magnetic resonance imaging has proven to be a useful diagnostic tool for the evaluation of various types of vascular rings and congenital heart disease. We report two cases showing the accuracy of MRI in detecting post-surgical complications in patients with these conditions.


METHODS
The two cases reported here demonstrate the use of MRI to show the altered vascular anatomy and the mechanism of tracheal and/or esophageal compression.


RESULTS
In the first case, MRI demonstrated narrowing of the right pulmonary artery due to a dilated and posteriorly displaced ascending aorta with residual coarctation, and esophageal compression by an aberrant left subclavian artery. In the second case, MRI demonstrated esophageal compression by a posteriorly displaced ascending aorta.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that MRI is an effective noninvasive method for assessing the results and complications of surgical correction of aortic abnormalities.
al-Ali
F
F
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0628.
Higgins
C B
CB
Gooding
C A
CA
D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*