Vascular ring: prenatal diagnosis and prognostic management based on sequential cross-sectional scanning by ultrasound

BACKGROUND: In terms of embryonic origin, vascular ring is a congenital anomaly in which the aortic arch and its branches completely or incompletely encircle and compress the trachea or esophagus. Early and accurate diagnosis of a vascular ring is the key to treatment. Prenatal diagnosis mainly relies on fetal echocardiography, but the rate of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis is still very high, and the prognosis has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis and to evaluate the prognosis semi-quantitatively according to the shape of the ring and the distance between the vessel and the trachea. METHODS: From 2019 to 2021, 37,875 fetuses underwent prenatal ultrasound examination in our center. All fetal cardiac examinations were performed using the fetal echocardiography method proposed by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) combined with dynamic sequential cross-sectional observation (SCS). For SCS, the standard abdominal section was taken as the initial section, and the probe was moved cephalically along the long axis of the body until the superior mediastinum had disappeared. If a vascular ring was found, the shape of the ring and the distance of the branch to the airway were observed. The distance relationship with the airway was divided into three grades: I-III; the closer the distance, the lower the grade. The vascular rings were monitored every 4 weeks before birth. All were monitored before surgery or 1 year after birth. RESULTS: A total of 418 cases of vascular rings were detected. There was no missed diagnoses or misdiagnoses by SCS. The vessels formed different shaped rings according to their origin and route. Grade I, “入” and “O” rings have a poor prognosis and are associated with the highest risk of respiratory symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: SCS can accurately diagnose vascular rings before delivery, evaluate the shape and size of the rings to conduct prenatal monitoring of children until birth, which plays a guiding role in airway compression after birth.