COARCTATION OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA

¹ Associate Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School.
² Clinical Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine.

Two cases of coarctation of the abdominal aorta are reported to illustrate the salient diagnostic points and the improvement following surgery.

Coarctation of the low thoracic or abdominal aorta must be considered strongly in young female patients who have upper extremity hypertension, strong upper abdominal aortic pulse which disappears distally or no aortic pulse in the abdomen and a murmur or bruit in the epigastrium. Chest roentgenograms show lack of findings of coarctation of the aorta at the arch level, but associated rib notching of the 10th to 12th ribs. Aortography is essential in making the diagnosis and as a guide to the therapeutic approach.

Vascular surgery will alleviate the condition.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. Mickley Surgical Therapy of Thoracoabdominal Aortic Coarctation A Literature Review Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, March 1, 1998; 32(2): 127 - 138. [Abstract] [PDF]