[Clinical relevance of the so-called arteria lusoria in childhood].

Abstract Although arteria lusoria is relatively frequent, symptomatic cases are rare in childhood. Symptoms are not caused by the retroesophageal course of the vessel itself, but by additional anomalies of the other branches of the aortic arch, above all by the pretracheal course of the equilateral arteria carotis communis. In very rare cases, the anomalous right arteria subclavia passes between esophagus and trachea and may cause threatened impending respiratory disturbances together with an aberrant course of the arteria carotis. The diagnostic and therapeutic procedure is discussed; the development of pulmonary hypertension in vascular respiratory disturbances is pointed out.