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[Pulmonary artery sling]
J F Cavalini1, E Atik, A M Soares
1Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP.
Insights
A rare congenital heart defect, left pulmonary artery sling, caused breathing issues and lung infections in a young boy. Surgical correction successfully resolved these symptoms, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Congenital Cardiovascular Anomalies
Background:
- Left pulmonary artery sling is a rare congenital anomaly where the left pulmonary artery arises from the right pulmonary artery and passes between the trachea and the esophagus.
- This anatomical variation can lead to extrinsic compression of the airway, particularly the distal trachea.
Observation:
- A two-year-old boy presented with persistent stridor since birth and recurrent pulmonary infections.
- Diagnostic imaging revealed mechanical compression of the distal trachea, indicative of a left pulmonary artery sling.
Findings:
- The case details the diagnostic pathway and surgical management of this rare condition.
- Surgical intervention successfully relieved the tracheal compression and resolved the patient's symptoms.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering rare vascular anomalies in the differential diagnosis of pediatric airway obstruction.
- Early diagnosis and surgical correction of left pulmonary artery sling can lead to favorable outcomes in affected children.
- This report contributes to the limited literature on pulmonary artery sling, being the first in Brazil and fifth in a Latin language country.
Abstract:
The authors present a case of a two-year-old boy with stridor since birth, and also recurrent episodes of pulmonary infections, due to mechanical compression of distal trachea by a left pulmonary artery sling. They discussed diagnostic approach, surgical management and review of the literature. To our knowledge, it is the first case of sling of the pulmonary artery reported in Brazil and the fifth in a latin language country.