Double aortic arch: Diagnosis missed for 29 years

Double aortic arch is a rare vascular anomlay which causes tracheal and eso phageal compression usually in the first months of life. Typical symptoms i n rite early childhood should lead to prompt diagnosis and surgical treatme nt of this malformation. In adults this anomaly is extremely rare. A case o f a severely 29-year-old symptomatic woman is presented. Despite characteri stic symptoms, the diagnosis was missed during childhood. The importance of different diagnostic procedures and operative therapy is discussed Preoperative angiography can be replaced by the less invasive mag netic imaging and computed tomography. Surgical operation should also be pe rformed in oligosymptomatic patients to prevent late complications.