Kinking of the aorta (pseudocoarctation): Report of six cases

Six patients with pseudocoarctation (or buckling) of the aorta were studied clinically and by means of cardiac catheterization. They are presented to bring this rarely reported and benign condition again to the attention of the practitioner. There were four males and two females, aged 2 months to 44 years. Coexisting congenital cardiac lesions were ventricular septal defect and aneurysm of the right coronary sinus in one patient, and bicuspid aortic valve in two others. All patients presented systolic ejection murmurs at the base, well transmitted to the back, and an ejection click was heard in two. Angiography revealed the typical buckled shadow in all. No complications resulted from the presence of the pseudocoarctation, but since aneurysms above and below the kink have been reported, periodic examination of such patients is advised.