Pulmonary Sling

  • Etiology: left pulmonary artery arises from the right pulmonary artery
  • Imaging: left pulmonary artery traverses mediastinum from right to left between trachea and esophagus, this can lead to fluid + air trapping of lung
  • Clinical: ring sling complex – commonly associated with tracheal ring cartilage + tracheal stenosis

Cases of Pulmonary Sling

UGI of pulmonary sling
AP (above) and lateral (below) images from an upper GI exam shows right sided and anterior indentations on the esophagus.
Angiogram of pulmonary sling
AP image from a pulmonary angiogram shows the left pulmonary artery arising from the right pulmonary artery.