ABOUT THE DISEASE

Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing of the aorta, the main blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle of the heart to all the organs of the body. It commonly occurs in the arch area, just beyond where the arteries to the head and arms take off.

Coarctation of the aorta is generally present at birth (congenital) but may remain undetected until adulthood, depending on the severity of narrowing. It can cause hypertension or heart damage as it has to work harder to pump the blood through the narrowed aorta.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms depend on the severity. Newborn babies with severe coarctation of aorta, may suffer from:

• • Difficulty breathing and eating
• • Irritability
• • Increased sleepiness or poorly responsive
• • Pale skin

In milder cases, symptoms may include:

• • High blood pressure
• • Chest pain
• • Dizziness or fainting
• • Muscle cramps
• • Nosebleed
• • Poor growth
• • Pounding headache
• • Shortness of breath

CAUSES

The exact cause of coarctation of the aorta is unknown. It results from abnormalities in development of the aorta prior to birth. It may be associated with other defects in the heart or genetic disorders like Turner syndrome.

It may rarely develop in adulthood due to traumatic injury, severe atherosclerosis or because of inflamed arteries as in Takayasu arteritis.

DIAGNOSIS

- Clinical Evaluation
- Cardiac catheterization and aortography
- Chest x-ray
- Echocardiography
- Heart CT
- MRI or MR angiography of the chest

TREATMENT METHODS

Treatment options for coarctation of the aorta depend on age at the time of diagnosis and the severity of the condition. Other heart defects might be repaired at the same time as aortic coarctation.

Treatment options include:
- Balloon angioplasty and stenting

- Surgery, can be in form of :-

• Resection with end-to-end anastomosis
• Subclavian flap aortoplasty
• Bypass graft repair
• Patch aortoplasty

Medication does not help resolve coarctation, but it might be used to control symptoms like high blood pressure.

You may also like to learn about:

Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Turner syndrome
Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
Hypertension
Takayasu arteritis
Congenital heart defects