Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001; 49(3): 186-187
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-14285
Case Report
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Paraplegia as an Unusual Manifestation of Aortic Coarctation

J. Harrer1 , J. Dominik1 , I. Varvarˇovsky¿ 1 , J. Zˇizˇka2 , L. Harrerová1
  • 1Department of Cardiac Surgery
  • 2Department of Radiodiagnostics, University Hospital, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
31 December 2001 (online)

In this report, we present an unusual case of a 20-year-old man whose first symptom of aortic coarctation was sudden paraplegia due to spinal epidural hemorrhage caused by rupture of an aneurysmal collateral vessel. Now, one year after surgical correction of coarctation, the patient has had no cardiac or neurological problems. To our knowledge, this is the only clearly documented case of such an aortic coarctation complication.

References

  • 1 Abbott M E. Coarctation of the aorta of the adult type. A statistical study and historical retrospective of 200 recorded cases with autopsy of stenosis of obliteration of the descending arch in subjects above the age of 2 years.  Am Heart J. 1928;  3 574-618
  • 2 Ostermiller W E, Somerndike J M, Hunter J A. et al . Coarctation of the aorta in adult patients.  J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1971;  61 125-130
  • 3 Banna M M, Rose P G, Pearce G W. Coarctation of the aorta as a cause of spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage.  J Neurosurg. 1973;  39 761-762
  • 4 Watson A B. Spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage in patient with coarctation of aorta.  Brit Med J. 1967;  4 278-279
  • 5 Hino H, Maruyama H, Inomata H. A case of spinal artery aneurysm presenting transverse myelopathy associated with coarctation of the aorta.  Clinical Neurology. 1989;  29 1009-1012

Received for Publication: July 9, 2000

Dr. Jan Harrer

Department of Cardiac Surgery
University Hospital

500 05 Hradec Králové

Czech Republic

Phone: 00 420-49-5511953

Fax: 00 420-49-5511953

Email: jharrer@seznam.cz