Respiratory distress in a preterm child

Excerpt

Vascular rings are rare causes of airway compression resulting often in severe respiratory distress. Various morphologies can attribute to the anatomy of tracheal compression. While the commonest morphological abnormality is a combination of right aortic arch with a left-sided patent arterial duct or ductal ligament and a retro-oesophageal but aberrant left subclavian artery [1], presence of double aortic arch is not unusual, and can potentially present with severe respiratory distress. While preterm babies are not particularly at higher risk to this anatomy, respiratory distress in an extreme baby can often cause clinical dilemma [2, 3]. Strong suspicion is vital to prompt diagnosis and intervention. …