Vascular ring formed by right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery and left ligamentum arteriosum: a rare cause of respiratory distress in newborn infants.

Vascular ring, in which the trachea and esophagus are completely surrounded by vascular structures, is one of the causes of respiratory distress in children. Right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery is a common aortic arch anomaly; however, respiratory distress due to vascular ring is seldom associated with this anomaly. We report herein a newborn infant treated surgically because of severe respiratory distress caused by vascular ring formed by right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery and left ligamentum arteriosum. As laryngomalacia was first thought to be the reason for respiratory distress, we suggest that patients with respiratory distress diagnosed with laryngomalacia be evaluated for possible vascular ring.