Abstract

GARCES GARCES, Juan; ZAMORA ENDARA, Elizabeth; DUENAS MERA, Gonzalo  and  NOBOA IZURIETA, Enrique. Locating ductal ligaments in vascular rings using multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Rev. Mex. Cardiol [online]. 2017, vol.28, n.3, pp.130-137. ISSN 0188-2198.

Vascular rings are embryonic malformations of the aortic complex that encircle the trachea and the esophagus and that, occasionally, produce symptoms. Ductal ligaments (DLs) are important elements in the constitution of vascular rings. Part of the surgical treatment of symptomatic vascular rings consists in dividing the DLs. The objective of this work is to try to locate the DLs using multi detector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with vascular rings. With this goal in mind, we reviewed 86 MRI studies and 16 MDCT studies in patients with vascular rings, with the parameters normally used in heart and large vessel studies. In 14 of the 16 MDCT cases, we were able to locate the DLs. We were unable to locate them in any of the MRI cases in the planes and sequence we used. We conclude that, although several sources of medical literature assert that DLs in vascular rings cannot be seen using any imaging procedure, it is possible to identify them using MDCT.

Keywords : Vascular rings; ductal ligament; kommerell’s diverticulum; ductal diverticulum.

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