An aberrant right subclavian artery in a chronic obstructive airway disease patient

Background: A seventy-six year old man, known hypertensive, presented with chest pain of five years duration, associated with exertional breathlessness, wheeze, cough, leg swelling and fatigue. His chest radiograph showed signs of hyperinflation, and chest computer tomography showed an aberrant right subclavian artery. We discuss the implications of this finding to diagnosis, and clinical management.