Right aortic arch with aberrant retroesophageal innominate artery: a report of 2 cases and review of the literature

Abstract

We describe two patients of right aortic arch associated with aberrant retroesophageal innominate artery. One case was associated with tetralogy of Fallot and a tortuous left common carotid artery originating from the retroesophageal innominate artery. Tetralogy of Fallot associated with this kind of aortic arch anomaly has never before been reported. The other case was associated with a perimembranous ventricular septal defect. Symptoms such as dyspnea, dysphagia and recurrent respiratory infection due to the compression by the vascular anomaly were not noted in these two cases. The morphological findings are indicative of a double aortic arch with an interruption of the left arch proximal to the common carotid artery.