Serial two-dimensional echocardiography for detection of coarctation of the aorta in the postnatal period.
We describe the ultrasound appearance of postnatal development of an angiographically proven coarctation of the aorta in a full-term infant. The diagnosis of a discrete coarctation was subsequently supported on a repeat two-dimensional echocardiogram, after an initial clinical and two-dimensional study at 6 h of age that had revealed only minimal juxtaductal aortic deformity. We stress the importance of two-dimensional echocardiography as a reliable noninvasive method for detecting the change in aortic contour occurring with ductal closure in infants with predisposing aortic anatomy who will go on to develop coarctation of the aorta.
D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male