Vascular rings: management and a proposed nomenclature.

Over 18 years, 33 patients with congenital vascular rings underwent surgical treatment. All patients had full recovery except 1 who died late. At the one-month follow-up, 66.7% had complete relief of the presenting symptoms. Important aspects of the clinical picture, diagnostic methods, and treatment are presented. A coded nomenclature is proposed; we believe it to be accurate, inclusive, easy to remember, and readily referable to the embryological origin.