Uncorrected coarctation of the aorta in a West Indian in the seventh decade of life

RESUMO

A 61-year-old blackhousewife, discovered to be hypertensive 37 years previously, was found to have coarctation of the proximal descending aorta. This disorder is only rarely diagnosed beyond the sixth decade. As coarctation of the aorta is uncommon and may remain undetected as a cause of secondary hypertension in adults, this case highlights the need for proper physical evaluation in all patients. The assumption that coarctation of the aorta is rare in vlacks may be due to inadequate diagnostic facilities available to this population