[Congenital interruption of the aortic arch as an isolated malformation in adults]

It is reported on a 36-year-old patient with congenital interruption of the aorta in the preductal region. Is the infantile form of the interruption of the aortic arch already rare, so cases which reach the age of adults are absolute rarities. In the literature available to us altogether 11 cases of the adult form of an interruption of the aortic arch could be established which are supplemented by the 12th case which is described here. Among these cases interruptions in the preductal part of the aorta have been described up to now only in 4 cases of the adult age. Thus the case described here is the 5th case of this kind. As decisive for reaching the adult age the absence of further malformations on heart and large vessels are taken into consideration, further the extended collateral system, the formation of which seems to begin already in the embryonary stage and might be functionable immediately post partum.