STENOSIS OF THE ISTHMUS (COARCTATION) OF THE AORTA AND ITS DIAGNOSIS DURING LIFE

Abstract

Congenital cardiovascular lesions are, as a rule, multiple; they present confusing physical signs and are apt to produce a number of different diagnoses. Coarctation (congenital stenosis) of the aorta produces outspoken clinical signs, which, when present in characteristic form, may be recognized at a glance. It is a curious fact, however, that the diagnosis is rarely made during life. Case 1 of this series was the only case on record in the Johns Hopkins Hospital case histories during the first thirty-four years of its existence (1889-1923). Since that time three additional cases have been found in the wards and outpatient departments of this hospital, and we are inclined to believe that other patients with this condition may have gone through our hands unrecognized because of the lack of familiarity with the clinical picture, or possibly because of the lack of outspoken physical signs. This impression is strengthened by post-mortem reports,