Wednesday, 22 June 2016

OLD UNDIAGNOSED COA MAY HAVE NORMAL PERIPHERAL PULKSES D/T COLLATERALS

Patients with aortic coarctation often develop extensive collateral vasculature to
compensate for decreased aortic flow distal to the lesion. Although EKG often reveals
left ventricular hypertrophy as a result of pressure overload proximal to the lesion, both
EKG and Chest-X ray can be normal or nonspecific in younger patients. Although the
current diagnostic standard, ultrasound findings were limited. CT and/or MRI should be
pursued. These modalities would provide additional anatomic detail and contribute to
the correct diagnosis.

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