Coarctation of the aorta describes a congenital narrowing of the descending aorta.

• more common in males (despite association with Turner's syndrome)

Associations

• Turner's syndrome
• bicuspid aortic valve
• berry aneurysms
• neurofibromatosis

Features

• infancy: heart failure
• adult: hypertension
• radio-femoral delay
• mid systolic murmur, maximal over back between the scapula
• apical click from the aortic valve
• notching of the inferior border of the ribs (due to collateral vessels) is not seen in young children

Management:

• Immediate management is administration of IV prostglandins to maintain a patent ductus arteriosus to allow adequate circulation until it is possible to attempt corrective surgery.
• Definitive Tx - surgery