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Case Reports
. 2025 Mar 24;17(3):e81092.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.81092. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Arteria Lusoria: An Unusual Cause of Dysphagia

Brianna Castellano  1 , Riya Kumar  1 , Maria Buencamino  1 , Kristel Sibaja  1 , Alejandro Biglione  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Arteria Lusoria: An Unusual Cause of Dysphagia

Brianna Castellano et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Arteria lusoria is an uncommon anatomical variant in which the right subclavian artery originates from the descending aorta rather than the brachiocephalic trunk. The vascular anomaly causes compression of the esophagus and can lead to dysphagia. Differential diagnosis includes other causes of dysphagia such as neurological, functional, or structural disorders. Diagnosis is achieved by radiological modalities, and treatment with dietary modifications is usually successful. However, severe or refractory cases require surgical intervention. This study presents the case of a 72-year-old woman with intermittent dysphagia who was found to have an aberrant origin of the right subclavian artery on CT angiography (CTA) of the chest. Arteria lusoria remains a diagnostic challenge. This paper describes the clinical manifestations, diagnostic approach, and management of arteria lusoria.

Keywords: acute dysphagia; arteria lusoria; dysphagia; dysphagia in the elderly; rare cause of dysphagia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Chest X-ray showed diffuse interstitial infiltrates (green arrows)
Figure 2
Figure 2. EKG showed sinus tachycardia with premature supraventricular complexes and left axis deviation
EKG: Electrocardiogram
Figure 3
Figure 3. CTA of the chest with contrast showed aberrant origin of the right subclavian artery (green arrow)
CTA: CT angiography
Figure 4
Figure 4. Upper gastrointestinal series X-ray with esophagram showed a small hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux, and the green arrow indicates extrinsic compression of the lumen of the esophagus and the level of the subclavian artery
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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