Symptoms of vascular ring (e.g. dyspnea - difficulty breathing, dysphagia - difficulty swallowing) are rarely found in the adult patient without prior diagnosis.

The adult patient with vascular ring may experience chronic coughing and/or wheezing, excessive production of sputum, and a history of chest infections. Initially, these symptoms may be taken as signs of asthma. Failure of treatment for asthma may lead to the correct diagnosis. If constriction of the esophagus is present, recurrent vomiting may occur.

Sometimes, an upper respiratory tract infection will reveal the presence of constrictions due to vascular ring.