Congenital Aneurysm of the Isthmus Segment of the Thoracic Aorta

Congenital aneurysm of the isthmus segment of the thoracic aorta is a rare but distinct clinicopathologic entity.[1] Only a few sporadic cases had been reported in the medical literature.[2,3] In a twenty year period, 1961–1979, the authors had observed a series of 12 cases, in which the diagnosis of congenital aneurysm of the isthmus segment of the thoracic aorta was verified by operation and pathologic examination. Liu, Wu and Jing had reported the roentgenologic and pathologic findings in nine of the twelve cases of this series.[4] The clinical and surgical experiences of this series had been previously reported by our group in 1978[5] and 1981.[6]