Successful surgical treatment with tracheal resection for a symptomatic vascular ring in an adult.

Vascular rings are congenital anomalies of the aortic arch, which may cause compression of the trachea and esophagus. Compression symptoms usually present in infants and children. Adult presentations are quite rare, and compression symptoms may not be relieved by surgical correction due to tracheal remodeling and malacia caused by a long-standing compression. Here, we present an adult case of symptomatic vascular ring formed by the right aortic arch and persistent left ligamentum arteriosus. Respiratory symptoms were predominantly due to severe tracheal stenosis caused by tracheal wall thickening through remodeling during long-standing compression, and were relieved by surgery with transection of the persistent followed by resection and reconstruction of the trachea.