Computed tomographic features of double aortic arch in six dogs

Double aortic arch (DAA) is a rare, congenital anomaly in small animals, resulting in a complete vascular ring encircling the esophagus and trachea, and subsequent compression of these organs. Few studies have reported utilizing CT angiography (CTA) for diagnosing DAA in dogs; thus, the imaging features are currently lacking in the literature. The objectives of this retrospective, multicenter, descriptive case series were to report the clinical and CTA characteristics of DAA in surgically treated cases. Medical records and CTA images were reviewed. Six juvenile dogs met the inclusion criteria (median age: 4.2 months; range: 2-5 months). The most common clinical signs included chronic regurgitation (100%), decreased body condition (67%), and coughing (50%). Common CTA features of DAA included a dominant left aortic arch (median diameter: 8.1 mm) and minor right aortic arch (median diameter: 4.3 mm; 83%), an aberrant right subclavian artery arising directly from the right aortic arch (83%), segmental esophageal constriction (100%), and variable degrees of dilation cranial to the heart base, and marked tracheal luminal compression (median percent change: -55%; 100%) and leftward curvature of the trachea at the level of the bifurcation of the aortic arches (100%). All dogs underwent successful surgical correction with only minor postoperative complications. Due to the similarity of clinical and imaging characteristics described to that of other forms of vascular ring anomalies (VRA), CTA is vital for the specific diagnosis of DAA in dogs.