[Indirect diagnosis of aortic coarctation by Doppler color echography. Velocimetric and spectral aspects in one of our cases].
OBJECTIVE
Description of a case report.


METHODS
The case of a 55-years-old man with a previous history of hypertension, treated for several years with many antihypertensive drugs without improvement is described.


RESULTS
The patient was affected with a unknown coarctation of the aorta. This disease, in fact, is an important cause of secondary hypertension. Adult patients, if asymptomatic, are most often diagnosed because of hypertension or murmur on a routine examination. This congenital disease can be demonstrated on suprasternal notch two-dimensional echocardiographic views along with increased Doppler flow velocity across the coarctation site. TC scan and aortography confirm the degree and nature of the aortic narrowing.


CONCLUSIONS
In the case reported color Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated two peculiar aspects of the coarctation of the aorta: 1) detection of a stenotic flow in the abdominal aorta, abdominal and lower extremities arteries; 2) marked renal vasodilatation secondary to compensatory mechanisms that intervene in the renal flow reduction; this finding is detectable in the presence of bilateral stenosis of renal arteries as well as in the hypertensive forms of coarctation of the aorta.
Amoroso
A
A
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Università degli Studi di Roma, La Sapienza, Roma.
Cianci
R
R
Mander
A
A
Faraglia
V
V
Manfredini
P
P
Clemenzia
G
G
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012212:Rheology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
Diagnosi indiretta di coartazione aortica mediante eco color-Doppler. Aspetti velocimetrici e spettrali in un caso di nostra osservazione.