Coarctation of the aorta

The Coarctation of the aorta - A congenital heart defect of unknown cause, in which there is narrowing in a section of the aorta that supplies blood to the lower body and legs. In response, the heart has to work harder, causing hypertension in the upper part of the body.

Symptoms usually appear in early childhood and include headache, weakness after exercise, cold legs, and, rarely, breathing difficulty and swelling of the legs due to heart failure.

Associated abnormalities include a heart murmur, weak or absent pulse in the groin, lack of synchronization between groin and wrist pulses, and higher blood pressure in the arms than in the legs. X-rays confirm the diagnosis. Corrective surgery is usually performed at 4–8 years of age.