Coarctation of the aorta

Definition:

A birth defect in which the major artery from the heart (the aorta) is narrowed somewhere along its length; most commonly the narrowing is just past the point where the aorta and the subclavian artery come together.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Coarctation is a birth defect (congenital disorder) in which a portion of the aorta is narrowed, resulting in low blood pressure and low blood flow past the defect and high blood pressure on the side that is closer to the heart (proximal to the defect). Most commonly, coarctation is located so that there is high blood pressure in the upper body and arms and low blood pressure in the lower body and legs.

There is an increased risk for aortic coarctation in some genetic conditions such as Turner's syndrome. It also occurs more often in boys than in girls. Symptoms from coarctation may not develop until adolescence, but can be present in infants depending on the severity of blood flow restriction. The symptoms include localized hypertension (high blood pressure in only certain parts of the body), cold feet or legs, decreased exercise performance, and heart failure. The pulse, normally felt in the groin (femoral pulse), is typically absent when a coarctation is present.

The disorder occurs in approximately 1 out of 10,000 people. It is usually diagnosed in children or adults less than 40 years old.