Narrowing of the aorta, usually just below the left subclavian artery, near the site where the ligamentum arteriosum (the remnant of the ductus arteriosus, a fetal blood vessel) joins the pulmonary artery to the aorta

May occur with aortic valve stenosis (usually of a bicuspid aortic valve) and with severe cases of hypoplasia of the aortic arch, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and ventricular septal defect

Ineffective pumping of the heart and increased risk of heart failure due to the obstruction of blood flow

Accounts for about 7% of all congenital heart defects in children

Twice as common in males as in females

In females, commonly linked to Turner’s syndrome

This disorder may develop as a result of spasm and constriction of the smooth muscle in the ductus arteriosus as it closes.

Contractile tissue extends into the aortic wall, causing narrowing.

This obstructive process causes hypertension in the aortic branches above the constriction (arteries that supply the arms, neck, and head) and diminished pressure in the vessel below the constriction.

Restricted blood flow through the narrowed aorta increases the pressure load on the left ventricle and causes dilation of the proximal aorta and ventricular hypertrophy.

As oxygenated blood leaves the left ventricle, a portion travels through the arteries that branch off the aorta proximal to the coarctation.

If PDA is present, the rest of the blood travels through the coarctation, mixes with deoxygenated blood from the PDA, and travels to the legs.

If the PDA is closed, the legs and lower portion of the body rely solely on the blood that gets through the coarctation.

Unknown

Turner’s syndrome