Background: The term "vascular ring" determines abnormal congenital arrangements of arteries that encircle trachea and esophagus. The rings may be partial or complete, composed only from the vessels or from the vessels combined with fibrous structure (usually ligamentum arteriosum). They are formed by derivatives of the embryonic aortic arches - most often from the IVth pairs (e.g. double aortic arches or right aortic arches) or from the VIth pairs (e.g. left pulmonary artery sling). Depending on the tightness of the ring, these abnormalities may be clinically asymptomatic, evoking repeated respiratory difficulties and/or dysphagia in children at the school age or pronounced respiratory distress in newborns. Nowadays MR or MSCT imaging is applied to visualize the vessels anomalies. Aim: To present the examples of MSCT appearances of the vascular rings and their effects on tracheobronchial tree and esophagus in children. Material/Methods: Five children, aged 1 month - 13 years, with suspicions of vascular rings underwent MSCT investigation of the chest by means of 16-row scanner (Aquillon, Toshiba), using voltage of 120 kVp, current values 40 mA - 170 mA and tube rotation time 500 ms. In all cases three dimensional reformatting was performed. Results: 1. One-month-old girl with respiratory difficulties, cyanosis and recognized tetralogy of Fallot presented the anatomy of double aortic arch with left arch atresia. 2. Two children: 13-year-old boy with recurrent respiratory infections and stridor and 7-year-old girl treated for asthma (false positive diagnosis) - showed rings caused by right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery, completed by left ligamentum arteriosum. 3. The left aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery (arteria lusoria) with esophageal compression was recognized in sixteen-month-old boy without clinical symptoms of dysphagia or respiratory difficulties. 4. Left pulmonary artery sling was seen in 13-month-old girl with respiratory distress; there were also: a.) concomitant common trunk for innominate artery and left common carotid artery and b.) persistent left vena cava superior. The compressions and stenoses of the tracheobronchial tree and/or esophagus were visualized in all patients. The radiation dose reduction was obtained due to the diminishing of the current values in the study protocol e.g. to 40 mA (20 mAs) in neonates and infants. Conclusions: MSCT, with low dose protocol, allows for accurate and comprehensive display of the vessels, trachea with main bronchi and esophagus in vascular rings in children. This visualization is significant and adequate for preoperative surgical planning.