Complete interruption of aortic arch diagnosed in adulthood: a case report

Few patients with interrupted aortas survive into maturity, and the majority of instances are diagnosed in young children. There are only a few cases of this extremely rare total aortic interruption that survives into maturity, necessitating the substantial growth of collaterals to supply the descending aorta. Here, we describe a rare instance of an interrupted aorta in a 43-year male that presented in late adulthood with complete interruption of the aortic arch. The patient has remained symptom-free and without treatment. This case gives us an idea about how one can survive into adulthood with complete interruption of the aortic arch given that extensive collaterals are formed.