Double Aortic Arch as a Rare Condition in a 10-year-old Boy with Recurrent Pneumonia: A Case Report Study

Abstract

Introduction: A double aortic arch (DAA) is a congenital anomaly of the aortic arch, which is also the most common type of complete vascular ring. This vascular ring can compress the trachea and esophagus, as well as cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiac symptoms. Case Presentation: In the present case report, a 10-year-old boy with recurrent cough, fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, and a history of recurrent respiratory infections was examined. According to the results of bronchoscopic evaluation, he was found to have a localized tracheomalacia. DAA and dextrocardia condition were also confirmed for this patient by performing a computed tomography angiography of the thorax and the three-dimensional reconstruction of CT angiography. Conclusions: The diagnosis of double aortic arch may be confused with upper respiratory tract infections or foreign body aspiration. Therefore, it was recommended that a particular attention should be paid to the double aortic arch when evaluating cases of stridor in children with unknown causes or recurrent respiratory infections. CT angiography and cardiac MRI were the diagnostic methods of choice for examining vascular rings.