Peter Ďurdík, Anna Šparcová, Mária Chrenšťová, Peter Bánovčin
Vascular ring is an unusual and rare congenital anomaly that occurs in the development of the aortic arch and its great vessels and can cause tracheal or oesophageal compression. Minor variations in the morphology of the aortic arch are relatively common, but most of them are asymptomatic. Various severe respiratory and/or gastrointestinal symptoms (depending on the compression intensity) can be suspected for vascular ring. Labour, feeding, crying, infections usually worsen clinical status. Unusual and atypical clinical picture is responsible for problematic and often delayed diagnosis of vascular rings. Cardiac examination with echocardiography and colour-flow Doppler, imaging and endoscope investigation (chest X-ray, barium oesophageal, computerized tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography and bronchoscopy) are the basic diagnostic management. The therapy depends on the type of vascular ring, intensity of clinical symptoms and severity of tracheal, bronchial or oesophageal compression. Asymptomatic patients are managed conservatively. Surgical treatment is indicated in patients with severe clinical manifestation. The long-term prognosis is well. Secondary tracheo-bronchial deformities belong to rare postoperative complications.