title: Assessment of children with vascular ring.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular rings may cause pressure on the trachea and/or esophagus of varying degree, resulting in symptoms. This study assessed the presentation symptoms, diagnostic methods and treatment results after surgery in children with vascular ring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Symptomatic vascular ring patients undergoing surgery between January 2010 and August 2014 at Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, were retrospectively assessed. The presentation symptoms, demographic characteristics, and diagnostic tests were evaluated. Operative data and postoperative follow up, complications and problems were also examined in detail.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one patients underwent surgery, 13 (63%) of whom were male. Median age was 12 months (range, 1 month-8 years). Among these patients, 62% (n = 13) had double aortic arch, 24% (n = 5) had right-sided aortic arch + ligamentum arteriosum, 10% (n = 2) had left-sided aortic arch + aberrant right subclavian artery, and 4% (n = 1) had pulmonary sling abnormality. Computed tomography (CT) angiography was performed in 17/21 patients. All the patients were successfully operated on. In the early postoperative period, two patients had chylothorax and one had nerve paralysis of nervus laryngeus recurrens. One patient died in the early period, and two patients had ongoing stridor on follow up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT angiography is effective for the differential diagnosis and visualization of vascular ring abnormality. In such cases, full recovery can be assured with early diagnosis and surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tola
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkut
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Okan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ersin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erek
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sertac
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turkvatan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yakup
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ergul
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guzeltas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bakir
mesh_terms: D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery
keywords: children; diagnosis; treatment; vascular ring