Coarctation of the Aorta in Infancy and Childhood

ABSTRACT

Thirty - five cases of coarctation of aorta, diagnosed by cardiac catheterization and angiography during the period of 1980-1984, at the department of Pediatrics of Seoul National University Hospital, were studied on the clinical features and management. The followoing results were obtained 1) The incidence of coartation of aorta was 1.2% of congenital heart disease and sex ratio of male to female was 2.2 1. 2) The anatomical type of coarctation was preductal in 19 cases, juxtaductal in 15 cases and postductal in 1 case. Most of preductal coarctation (89.5%) were associated with aortic arch or isthmus hypoplasia. 3) All of these patients had various type of additional cardiac anomalies and among them, PDA was the most common associated lesion and followed by VSD. 4) Significant BP gradient between upper and lower extremies and weak femoral pulsation were noticed in 15 cases(42.8%). 5) Congestive heart failure was present in all but one patient less than 1 year old, while only 3 cases(15%) had congestive heat failure in patients older than one year. 6) Overall surgical mortality was 31.8%, but significant decrease in surgical mortality was found since 1983.