Case of primary diagnosis of pronounced aortic coarctation in an adult patient

Abstract

In the natural course of postductal aortic coarction, the average life expectancy of the patient is 30 years. The quality of life depends largely on the severity of narrowing, the presence of an open arterial duct and the development of collaterals providing blood flow in the descending aortic basin. Adult patients are characterized by hypertension syndrome symptomatic angina pectoris arrhythmias and heart failure. Pathology is diagnosed by means of two-dimensional echocardiography with color dopplerography and three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasonic reconstruction. The obtained data are significantly refined and supplemented by magnetic resonance or contrast multispiral computer tomography. Timely and correct diagnosis can save a patient’s life or significantly improve its quality, preventing the consequences of persistent hypertension and the development of heart failure. The present paper considers a clinical case of pronounced aortic coarctation, first diagnosed in a man aged 30 years, previously observed with a diagnosis of hypertension, despite the signs of hypoxemia of the lower half of the trunk. The algorithm of examination is discussed, which provides timely diagnosis of this defect in order to prevent its complications.