Double Aortic Arch with Previously Undescribed Head and Neck Vessel Branching

Abstract Vascular ring in the form of a double aortic arch is a rare anomaly which can cause airway compression. It occasionally occurs with unusual head and neck vessel branching. A 5 year-old male with chronic respiratory symptoms was referred due to tracheal indentation on his chest x-ray. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a double aortic arch with arch origins of a common carotid, vertebral and subclavian on the right and internal and external carotids, vertebral and subclavian arteries on the left. Our case represents the first report of a double aortic arch with seven separate vessels arising from the transverse arches.