Diagnostics (Jul 2024)

“Unkinking” the “Kink” Normalizes the Doppler Pattern

  • Elaina A. Blickenstaff,
  • Michael O’Shea,
  • Timothy Barry,
  • Reza Arsanjani,
  • John P. Fasolino,
  • Donald J. Hagler,
  • Francois Marcotte,
  • David S. Majdalany

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14141550
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 14
p. 1550

Abstract

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Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) comprises 5–7% of congenital heart disease and can present as an isolated narrowing in the aortic arch just distal to the left subclavian artery or can be associated with cardiac abnormalities such as a bicuspid aortic valve, aortopathy, or ventricular septal defects. With the advances in the medical field, intervention on CoA can either be via surgical repair or endovascular stenting. Echocardiography is the mainstay in diagnosing CoA, with tomographic imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography providing supplementary assessment of the aorta, valves, and collateral vessels. We present a case of a young hypertensive male who was noted to have a continuous cardiac murmur with diagnostic Doppler pattern of CoA on echocardiography that normalized soon after percutaneous stenting.

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