A Case of Postnatal Aortic Arch Atresia

Abstract

Zi-Xin Yang,1 Ying Han,2 Jie Zhang,3 Yong-Hui Yu,4 Mei Zhu1 1Department of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ultrasound, Zaozhuang Maternity and Child Health Care, Zaozhuang, Shandong, 277102, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiac Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Neonatology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Mei Zhu, Department of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324 Jingwu-Weiqi Road, Huaiyin District, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People’s Republic of China, Tel [phone], Email [email protected]: Aortic arch atresia is a rare congenital cardiac defect that may occur after birth. Pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus may increase the risk of aortic arch atresia in newborns after birth.Case Description: A 16-day-old infant was referred to our hospital on the 15th postnatal day after an interrupted or atretic aortic arch was discovered. No obvious abnormality was detected in the infant during the prenatal ultrasound. Laboratory tests showed elevated inflammatory marker levels. Transthoracic echocardiography showed stenosis of the transverse arch of the aorta and a blind end at the distal end of the left subclavian artery. During surgery, it was found that the isthmus of the aorta was uninterrupted but completely occluded due to inflammation.Conclusion: This case demonstrates that type A interrupted aortic arch and coarctation of the aorta can be acquired after birth, and if coarctation of the aorta is complicated by inflammation or if the pregnant women have gestational diabetes mellitus, it can result in aortic arch atresia as the patient’s condition worsens. It is advised to consider aortic arch atresia when imaging reveals type A interrupted aortic arch.Keywords: aortic arch atresia, congenital heart disease, congenital obstruction and anomaly of the aortic arch, gestational diabetes mellitus

Keywords

• aortic arch atresia
• congenital heart disease
• congenital obstruction and anomaly of the aortic arch
• gestational diabetes mellitus