Aorta coarctation

Coarctation of an aorta is a narrowing of a part of an aorta – the main artery which leaves heart. The term "coarctation" means narrowing of the sizes of a gleam. This disease is inborn.

On an aorta from heart blood proceeds to all other vessels which supply fabrics and bodies of an organism with the necessary substances and oxygen. When a part of this structure is dried, blood course becomes complicated.

Aorta coarctation reasons

Disturbances in formation of an aorta are the reason of coarctation of an aorta at pre-natal fetation. The aorta, generally yukstaduktalno is narrowed (near an arterial channel). Arterialny Canal connects a pulmonary left artery and an aorta and performs the functions only in a womb, and at the beginning of alveolar breath is closed at once. During the fetalis period a part of flowing fabrics passes to an aorta and closes also a wall that, respectively, promotes narrowing.

In more exceptional cases the aortic arch syndrome, an injury or damage of an aorta of atherosclerotic character because of what coarctation of an aorta can arise throughout life can be the cause of coarctation of an aorta.

Risk factors

The people having Shereshevsky-Turner's syndrome who have 45 chromosomes instead of 46 are genetically predisposed to aorta coarctation. 10% of patients with this syndrome have aorta coarctation.

Coarctation of an aorta can be combined with other inborn cordial defects:

• Two-fold aortal valve. The aortal valve serves for separation of an aorta from a left ventricle. At normal development it has three shutters;

• Defect of an interventricular partition. At this defect between the left and right ventricles there is a message because of what the blood from a left ventricle containing oxygen mixes up with a venous blood in a right ventricle;

• Open arterial channel. Arterialny Canal normal has to be closed right after appearance of the kid on light;

• Stenosis of an opening of mitral or aortal valves. At this defect these openings are narrowed.

Aorta coarctation symptoms

Symptoms of coarctation of an aorta depend on amount of blood which can pass through the narrowed piece of the main artery in a definite time. Additional defects from cardiovascular system can aggravate a situation.

Aorta coarctation at children in 50% of cases is noted already since the birth. In other cases symptoms of coarctation of an aorta arise at teenage age.

Symptoms of coarctation of an aorta are:

• asthma;

• faint and dizzinesses;

• head pain;

• thorax pains;

• constantly cold feet and legs;

• bleedings from a nose;

• spasms in legs at exercise stresses;

• hypertensia (high blood pressure) during exercise stresses;

• bystry fatigue at exercises;

• low growth;

• lags in development.

Sometimes symptoms can be absent completely.

Diagnosis of coarctation of an aorta

For a tool research use:

• Thorax X-ray analysis;

• Echocardiography;

• Electrocardiography;

• Magnetic and resonant tomography.

Complications

If not to treat aorta coarctation at children, over time can develop:

• Stroke;

• Rupture of an aorta;

• Diseases of coronary arteries;

• Aneurism of vessels in a brain.

It should be noted that at coarctation of an aorta internals therefore degenerative changes in bodies with the subsequent disturbances of their functions can gradually develop krovosnabzhatsya badly.

Treatment of coarctation of an aorta

In most cases aorta coarctation at children treat in the surgical way right after the birth or after a while. Before such operations at coarctation of an aorta the stabilizing drugs are appointed.

Children in whom coarctation of an aorta was found at advanced age are also treated in the surgical way. In most cases they did not strongly express symptoms therefore there is an opportunity well to be prepared for operation at aorta coarctation.

Treatment of coarctation of an aorta consists at a distance or opening of the narrowed part of an aorta. If the narrowed part has the small sizes, it is deleted, and the remained ends of an aorta connect with each other. Such operative measure is called an anastomosis. If the narrowed part of an aorta has the big sizes, apply Dakronov a transplant. Fill with it defect and connect two parts of an aorta.

During the postoperative period the increased arterial pressure therefore, perhaps, it is necessary to use hypotensive drugs still can be observed. There are cases when after several years after operation there are expansions of the reconstructed site or it is again narrowed therefore there can be a need for a repeated operative measure.

If in your family there were aorta coarctation cases, it is desirable to undergo medicogenetic consultation and to reveal how high risk of development of coarctation of an aorta in your children.