Abstract
Background: Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a partial- or long-segment narrowing of the aorta, usually at the aortic isthmus, between the ductus arteriosus and the left subclavian artery.
Patients and methods: This was an observational cohort prospective study conducted at the Pediatric Department at Sohag University Hospital between July 2016 to July 2017. Full history, full clinical examination, Echocardiography were done for all included patients.
Results: The age range of presentation of CoA, was found to be 30 cases (60%) presented during infancy, followed by 14 cases (28%) at the age from 1-5 years, then 6 cases (12%) after 5 years.
The clinical presentation of the studied cases were (54%) of the patients presented with heart failure, 28 (56%) cases presented with dyspnea, 32 (64%) cases presented with loss of femoral pulse, all patients had a femoral radial delay and 21 (42%) cases presented with hypertension.
Echocardiographic findings show that 58% of patients had left ventricular hypertrophy, 12% had hypoplasia of aortic arch, 22% had the bicuspid aortic valve, 18% had aortic stenosis. The associated cardiac congenital anomalies were 58% and 42% had no associated cardiac congenital anomalies.
Conclusion: Most cases of Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) presented during infancy, the most frequent symptoms were dyspnea and the most common sign is a femoral radial delay. Echocardiography is a noninvasive method and the one of choice in the diagnosis of Coarctation of the aorta.