[Vascular ring: a rare cause of dyspnea in an elderly male patient. Case report].

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) and changes present in X-rays of the chest are most frequent symptoms indicating further pulmonary diagnostic. Presented is the case of 71-year-old patient reffered from general practitioner due to exacerbation of dyspnea and abnormalities present in the chest X-ray.The patient has been treated for ischemic heart disease and arrythmia for a couple of years.Three-dimensional CT of the chest revealed a vascular ring of aorta.It is a defect characterized by a faulty flow of large vascular trunks, which built a cardiovascular ring that partially or completely enricle the structure of mediastinum (esophagus, trachea).The observed clinical symptoms are a result of pressure applied to the structure of the mediastinum and its intensity. This cardiovascular defect is diagnosed during early stages of childchood development and for it to be recognized in an adult patient is a casuistic case.