Post-traumatic acquired coarctation of the descending thoracic aorta.

Summary A 31-year-old Caucasian male sustained a through-and-through laceration of the descending aorta 4 years prior to admission. The laceration was closed successfully, but 2 weeks postoperatively the patient developed clinical signs of congestive heart failure and symptoms compatible with coarctation of the aorta. Signs and symptoms typical of coarctation of the aorta progressed over the next 4 years. After the aorta was repaired successfully with a Dacron graft, blood pressure levels gradually returned to normal and the ischemic symptoms in the lower extremities disappeared. We are grateful to Dr. V. J. von Berg for the summary of treatment given at Detroit Receiving Hospital and to the staff of the Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital in Ogden, Utah, for the information concerning the patient’s subsequent course. Acknowledgement, also, must be made of the assistance of Mr. Allison Sykes and Mr. Roy Rainey in the preparation of the illustrations for this paper.