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Aortic Coarctation
Introduction
Aortic coarctation (AoC) is a ductal-dependent heart anomaly characterized by a narrowing of the aorta. The presence of physiologic right-to-left shunts in the fetal circulation constitutes a challenge for prenatal diagnosis, making AoC one of the congenital heart diseases (CHDs) with the most common false-positive and false-negative diagnoses.
Disease
Definition
AoC consists of a constriction on the aortic arch that causes obstruction of the blood flow and consequently causes some degree of aortic arch hypoplasia. The constriction can affect a variable length of the vessel or consist on a shelf-like obstruction. The constriction is usually located at the level of the aortic isthmus, between the left subclavian artery and the ductus arteriosus.
Prevalence and Epidemiology
AoC accounts for 7% of all CHDs, and affects 1 : 1600 newborns. It is twice as common in males, and is frequently associated with other CHDs, especially ventricular septal defects and left heart obstructive lesions.
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