Therapeutic strategy in a 9-month-old child with pulmonary sling: need for bronchoscopic evaluation

Abstract

A 9-month-old child presented suffering from repeated severe infections of the lower respiratory tract. Bronchoscopy revealed a tracheal stenosis, suggestive of a vascular anomaly of the great arteries. A second significant stenosis of the left main stem bronchus was observed that was suspected to be due to a ligamentum arteriosum. Heart catheterization confirmed the diagnosis of an abnormal origin of the left pulmonary artery (pulmonary sling). Based on the bronchoscopic and angiographic findings a pulmonary ring was suspected. A dissection of the ligamentum arteriosum was performed. At readmission 4 weeks postoperatively the child was asymptomatic and the left main bronchus was patent.