[Dysphagia of vascular origin]

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Radiology
• Cardiovascular Surgery

Background:

• Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, can arise from extrinsic compression of the esophagus.
• Vascular anomalies are rare but significant causes of esophageal compression, particularly in adults.

Observation:

• Three adult patients presented with dysphagia attributed to esophageal compression by vascular structures.
• One patient was diagnosed with dysphagia aortica, a condition involving the aorta compressing the esophagus.
• Two patients had congenital vascular anomalies: an aberrant right subclavian artery and a right aortic arch.

Findings:

• Diagnostic imaging, including barium meal studies, initially suggested the diagnosis.
• Computed tomography (CT) scans definitively confirmed the vascular compression in all three cases.
• Arteriography was used to prove the specific congenital vascular anomalies in two patients.

Implications:

• Early and accurate diagnosis of vascular esophageal compression is crucial for appropriate management.
• Multimodality imaging, combining barium studies and CT, is effective for identifying these rare conditions.
• Understanding these vascular anomalies aids in surgical planning and improving patient outcomes.