title: Double aortic arch: diagnosis missed for 29 years.
abstract: Double aortic arch is a rare vascular anomaly which causes tracheal and esophageal compression usually in the first months of life. Typical symptoms in the early childhood should lead to prompt diagnosis and surgical treatment of this malformation. In adults this anomaly is extremely rare. A case of a severely 29-year-old symptomatic woman is presented. Despite characteristic symptoms, the diagnosis was missed during childhood. The importance of different diagnostic procedures and operative therapy is discussed. Preoperative angiography can be replaced by the less invasive magnetic imaging and computed tomography. Surgical operation should also be performed in oligosymptomatic patients to prevent late complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brockes
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology*