[Middle aortic coarctation: a rare vascular disorder]

Coarctation of the descending thoracic aorta is uncommon, with controversial etiology. Usually, severe hypertension is the main symptom; lower extremity claudication is less often found. Surgical management remains the standard for long coarctation and provides good results.

We report three cases of coarctation of the descending aorta operated at our department of cardiovascular surgery of Hospital La Rabta between January 2012 and December 2013.

The median age was 19 years and the median follow-up was 16 months. Hypertension was the most common clinical manifestation. The diagnosis was made by computed tomography angiography. Two cases were treated by an aorto-aortic bypass and one by subclavian-descending aorta bypass. Recovery was excellent, with a decrease in antihypertensive medications (four to two) and restoration of all distal pulses.

Middle aortic coarctation is a rare entity. Etiologies include congenital, acquired, inflammatory and infectious causes. The condition is considered a life-threatening emergency as a result of the complications associated with severe hypertension. Depending on technical considerations, open surgical bypass remains the standard repair for mid-aortic syndrome.