Vascular rings are congenital anomalies of the aortic arch system that result in the formation of a ring, causing compression of the trachea and esophagus. The differential diagnosis of asthmalike symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing, includes vascular ring along with vocal cord dysfunction, tracheal stenosis, foreign body, cystic fibrosis, aspiration, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and upper airway disease. Vascular rings are usually diagnosed in infancy and repaired surgically. Most children with clinically significant vascular rings present with nonspecific symptoms, such as dyspnea, cough, inspiratory stridor, recurrent respiratory tract infections, or dysphagia. We describe the case of a boy diagnosed as having a vascular ring after being labeled with a diagnosis of asthma for 5 years.
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