Evaluation of Tracheobronchial Compressions due to Cardiovascular Diseases

Objective: Cardiovascular system-associated tracheobronchial compressions are often unrecognized complications of congenital cardiac anomalies, which may complicate the management of the disease.Enlarged or malpositioned cardiovascular anatomy or vascular rings can cause airway compression. Materials and Methods:The study included patients who were followed up with a diagnosis of cardiovascular system-associated tracheobronchial compression during a two-year period at a tertiary center.Clinical data and short-term outcomes were retrospectively evaluated. Results:The study included 22 patients with a median age of 24 months (IQR 11-29 months); 68.2% (n=15) were male.The median age at diagnosis was 15 days (IQR 0-18 months).Recurrent wheezing (59.1%) and dyspnea (59.1%) were the most common symptoms.There were 10 patients (45.5%) in the vascular ring/ pulmonary sling group, while 12 patients (54.5%) were in the abnormally enlarged or malpositioned cardiovascular structure due to the underlying congenital heart disease group.The trachea was the most frequently compressed airway structure, with a frequency of 68.2%, while the left main bronchus followed with a frequency of 40.9%.The median age at surgical intervention was 5.5 months (IQR 2.25-9 months), while only two patients were managed conservatively.The overall mortality rate was 4.5% during follow-up. Conclusion:A high index of suspicion and early diagnosis are essential for the optimal management of patients with cardiovascular system-associated airway compressions.Long-term studies are needed in this area to standardize diagnostic and therapeutic management.