Schlingenbildung der linken Pulmonalarterie («left pulmonary artery sling»): Klinik und Röntgenzeichen einer Gefässvariante

Summary Left pulmonary artery sling: clinical and radiographic signs of a vascular anomaly A 58-year-old male was referred for computed tomography of the chest for further evaluation of an undetermined round lesion and an atypical left cardiac silhouette, noted on conventional chest x-ray. Computed tomography showed an aberrant left pulmonary artery arising from the right pulmonary artery and crossing over to the left side between the trachea and oesophagus, thus producing a vascular sling. Pulmonary slings are rare causes of severe respiratory symptoms in newborns, especially when associated with tracheobronchial anomalies such as tracheomalacia, tracheal stenosis or complete cartilage rings. Survival is poor in symptomatic infants unless early surgical correction is performed. In asymptomatic patients, however, the long-term prognosis is excellent.