Isolated Vascular Rings Are Common Cardiovascular Malformations

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Congenital Malformations

Background:

• Vascular rings are congenital anomalies where vascular or ligamentous structures encircle the trachea and esophagus.
• Understanding the prevalence of these malformations is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Previous studies on vascular ring prevalence have varied, necessitating population-specific data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of isolated vascular rings in the general population of Southern Nevada.
• To analyze trends in prevalence and prenatal detection rates over an eight-year period.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for patients diagnosed with isolated vascular rings between January 2014 and December 2021.
• Inclusion criteria: vascular or ligamentous structures completely encircling the trachea and esophagus, situs solitus, levocardia, and no significant intracardiac malformations.
• Calculation of prevalence based on the number of diagnosed cases and total live births in Southern Nevada.

Main Results:

• A total of 112 patients with isolated vascular rings were identified.
• The overall prevalence was 5.3 per 10,000 live births.
• Prevalence increased from 3.5 per 10,000 live births (2014-2017) to 7.1 per 10,000 live births (2018-2021).
• Prenatal detection rates rose from 66% to 86% during the study period.

Conclusions:

• Isolated vascular rings are relatively common cardiovascular malformations.
• The prevalence in Southern Nevada appears to stabilize around 7 per 10,000 live births.
• Improved prenatal detection rates contribute to more accurate prevalence estimations.