Vascular Rings as a Cause of Respiratory Difficulties

Background

Vascular rings are rare congenital developmental anomalies of the cardiovascular system that present with variable respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms often refractory to what is considered a standard treatment. The aim of our study was to describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic pathway, and management of children referred to a tertiary pediatric department for unexplained respiratory symptoms in whom a vascular ring was confirmed, with particular attention to the role of echocardiography in raising the initial suspicion, and to compare our findings with published cohorts.