Interrupted Aortic Arch Diagnosed in a 57 Year Old Female with Refractory Hypertension

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

1-28-2017

Publication Title

Journal of Investigative Medicine

Volume

65

Issue

1

First page number:

264

Last page number:

265

Abstract

Case Report Interrupted aortic arch is a congenital heart disease where there is loss of luminal continuity between ascending aorta and descending aorta. It accounts for 1% to 1.5 % of congenital heart diseases. These patients are usually diagnosed on prenatal ultrasounds. After birth, they may develop signs of circulatory collapse as the blood supply to lower extremity is compromised after closure of the ductus arteriosus in the first few days. New diagnosis of interrupted aortic arch in adult population is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only 40 cases have been reported in adult population. We are presenting the case of a 57 year old female with secondary hypertension since childhood. Her blood pressure was difficult to control despite of multiple anti-hypertensive medications. Adult cardiologist tried to perform cardiac catheterization but the procedure was aborted after the guidewire could not be advanced past the descending aorta. The patient was referred to our center for cardiac catheterization by a pediatric interventional cardiologist and she was diagnosed with interrupted aortic arch at catheterization. This article highlights the importance of considering aortic arch abnormalities as a differential diagnosis in patients with refractory hypertension.

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Language

English

Find It

UNLV article access

Share

COinS