Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing of the aorta.

Clinical presentation
Symptoms |
|
Physical signs |
- Systemic hypertension
- Ejection systolic murmur at upper sternal edge
- Collaterals heard with continuous murmur at the back
- Radio-femoral delay. This is due to blood bypassing the obstruction via collateral vessels in the chest wall and hence the pulse in the legs is delayed
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Investigations
Chest radiograph |
- Rib-notching due to the development of large collateral intercostal arteries running under the ribs posteriorly to bypass the obstruction
|
ECG |
- Left ventricular hypertrophy
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Management
The approach to native coarctation varies across centers. Most centers recommend surgical correction of a native coarctation. Others perform balloon angioplasty with or without placement of a stent to relieve coarctation in the adult.