Atrophic coarctation of the abdominal aorta

Two cases illustrate the clinical manifestations and angiographic findings associated with segmental stenosis of the abdominal aorta. Such lesions represent the chronic occlusive stage of Takayasu's disease, a nonspecific inflammatory arteritis of uncertain etiology. While the disease is considered autoimmune, an infectious process may be involved. Complications typically associated with stenotic lesions of the abdominal aorta are secondary renal hypertension and ischemic symptoms secondary to vascular insufficiency. Surgical correction, the treatment of choice, has achieved excellent results for these well-localized lesions. Secondary renal hypertension was relieved by a spenorenal shunt and the disease has since been controlled with conservative management in the first patient. An aortofemoral bypass graft successfully alleviated the vascular insufficiency in the second patient, although the patient unfortunately expired from a refractory postoperative cardiac complication.