Anomalies of the aortic arch system.

Abnormalities in the development of the aortic arch system may yield anomalies either of the definitive aortic arch and its branches or of pulmonary arterial origin. Anomalies of the aortic arch and its branches may cause compression of the trachea and esophagus or simply yield anatomic patterns which vary from normal without causing specific symptoms. Anomalies of pulmonary arterial origin usually take the form of origin of one or both pulmonary arteries either from the aorta or the innominate artery. The various anomalies are related to loss of specific segments of the primitive aortic arch system.