Clinical Observations of Coarctation of the Aorta

PURPOSE: Due to controveries surrounding in the incidence of coarctation of aorta which reports previously stated rare among Orientals, we evaluated clinical characteristics, natural courses of coarctation of aorta and effects of different surgical modalities. METHODS: Medical records of 51 patients with coarctation of aorta, diagnosed by 2-dimensional echocardiography in Kyungpook University Hospital Pediatric Cardiac Laboratory from June 1985 to August 1997, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: This study involved 32 male and 19 female patients(male-female ratio 1.7 : 1) aged 12 days to 11 years and 8 months(13 newborns, 32 infants and 6 children over 1 year of age). The coarctation patients consisted of 1.2% of all congenital heart disease patients diagnosed by cross-sectional echocardiography during study periods. Of the accompanying cardiac defects, patent ductus arteriosus(56.9%) and ventricular septal defect(49.0%) were the most common. Congestive heart failure was encountered in 35.3% of patients, weak or absent femoral pulse 80.4%, and higher upper limb blood pressure than lower limb 75.6%. Among the types of coarctation, juxtaductal types accounted for 30 cases(58.8%) and tubular hypoplasias 21 cases(41.2%). Preoperative Doppler gradients through the coarctation were significantly decreased(14.0+/-14.3 mmHg) after 3.7+/-3.5 years follow up. Ages at operation, follow-up periods, and residual Doppler systolic gradients through the coarctation according to different surgical methods did not show significant differences except during follow-up periods. CONCLUSION: It is of utmost importance to palpate the pulses and check the blood pressures of upper and lower extremities in diagnosing coarctation of aorta, and there were no significant prognostic differences among different surgical methods after midterm follow-up periods.

Surgical Treatment of Bilateral Intracranial Aneurysms

The incidence of the bilateral intracranial aneurysms in multiple aneurysms ranges from 20 to 40% in the published series12). The problems of surgery for multiple aneurysms are far greater than those for single aneurysm. Occasionally,the ruptured site of bilateral symmetrical(mirror image) aneurysms are more difficult to identify. To verify the standard treament, we investigated their clinical data and surgical modalities of 43 patients with bilateral aneurysms. We classified the bilateral aneurysms as symmetrical and asymmetrical aneurysms. Most common bilateral symmetrical aneurysms were located at origin of posterior communicating artery. Surgical modalities were separate craniotomy with ipsilateral approach(29 cases) and a single craniotomy with ipsilateral and contralateral approach (6 cases). The rest of patients were treated only in the presence of symatomatic lesions. Seven patients died of various causes; two were rebleeding, three were surgical mortalities, and two had medical complications. The surgical results were good to fair in 26 cases of separate operation and had good to fair outcome of 5 cases with 1 case of poor outcome in the single craniotomy with combined ipsilateral and contralateral approach. Surgical goal in patient with bilateral aneruysms is clipping of all aneurysms. In selected cases, the contralateral approach with a single craniotomy can be employed. Proper surgical techniques and guideline for microsurgical exposure of bilateral aneurysms are mandatory.