Life
Vascular Rings as a Cause of Respiratory Difficulties
By Jakub Sulov, Filip Olekšák, Jarmila Vojtková and 6 others.
Abstract
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.
Methods
We performed a retrospective descriptive case series of patients (n = 7) diagnosed at the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, University Hospital Martin, between 2021 and 2025.