Incidental Right Aortic Arch in a 55-Year-Old Male With Cerebral Palsy: A Radiologic Pitfall Mimicking Pulmonary...

We present the case of a 55-year-old male with a past medical history of cerebral palsy, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), seizures, and generalized anxiety disorder who presented with recurrent episodes of respiratory distress and was incidentally found to have a right aortic arch (RAA) on radiologic imaging. Although this anatomical variation is rare, this case serves as a teaching point to raise awareness of the existence of a RAA and how it can be mistaken for a lung lesion, mass, or malignancy. Studies have shown that this anatomical abnormality can also give rise to subtle esophageal and respiratory symptoms. In addition, some patients diagnosed with RAA, especially older adults, have been found to have concurrent vascular anomalies, such as right coronary artery stenosis, left and/or right subclavian artery stenosis, and aortic dissection.