Treatment of symptomatic vascular rings in the elderly

• Published in: Texas Heart Institute journal 2005, Vol.32 (3), p.411-415
• Main Authors: Hardin, Rosemarie E, Brevetti, Gregory R, Sanusi, Michael, Bhaskaran, Dinesh, Burack, Joshua H, Genovesi, Mark H, Lowery, Robert C, Rafii, Shahrokh, Bondi, Elliot
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Angiography; Aorta, Thoracic - abnormalities; Aorta, Thoracic - diagnostic imaging; Aorta, Thoracic - surgery; Brachiocephalic Trunk - abnormalities; Brachiocephalic Trunk - diagnostic imaging; Brachiocephalic Trunk - surgery; Bronchoscopy; Case Report; Constriction, Pathologic; Female; Humans; Respiratory Insufficiency - etiology; Respiratory Insufficiency - pathology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Trachea - pathology; Vascular Diseases - complications; Vascular Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Vascular Diseases - surgery; Vascular Surgical Procedures - methods
• ISSN: 0730-2347

A 76-year-old woman presented with respiratory failure that was later determined to be a result of a right aortic arch with an aberrant left brachiocephalic artery. This vascular ring compressed the trachea, requiring operative intervention. A median sternotomy gave access for an aorta-to-left brachiocephalic artery bypass and division of the vascular ring. This is a unique case, because vascular rings rarely present in elderly patients with such acute life-threatening symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the oldest and heaviest patient ever reported with symptomatic presentation and one of only 4 patients over the age of 50. The current literature on vascular rings of the thoracic aorta in adults is reviewed.