Endoscopy and the aberrant right subclavian artery.

The aberrant right subclavian artery is present in 0.4 per cent of the population. It is usually asymptomatic and only rarely causes symptomatic esophageal compression, a condition known as dysphagia lusoria. It was diagnosed in one of 920 patients undergoing diagnostic endoscopy (223 for dysphagia) and characterized by CT scan. It is important for clinicians to be aware of this condition and that the artery may be visible at endoscopy.