It may present at birth with heart failure, or be discovered later in life, eg during investigation for hypertension.
Most adults with coarctation of the aorta are asymptomatic. Occasionally they may complain of:
- headache
- recurrent epistaxis
- claudication of the calf muscles
Clinical examination may reveal:
- radio-femoral delay
- midsystolic murmur
Complications of coarctation include:
- hypertension
- LVF
- endocarditis
Conditions associated with coarctation include:
- bicuspid aortic valve (10-20%)
- PDA
- VSD
- Berry aneurysms
- Turners syndrome
- renal abnormalities
CXR may show rib notching due to formation of collaterals
Management is stenting/surgery.
Now for the penultimate battle of the day, heparin...
