Familial pseudocoarctation of the aorta

Pseudocoarctation of the aorta (PCOA) is an unusual congenital malformation of the aortic arch characterized by an acute anterior angulation of the aortic arch at the level of the ligamentum arteriosum with little or no obstruction. This report describes the occurrence of PCOA and other aortic arch abnormalities including true coarctation, right aortic arch, and aneurysms of the proximal and distal aortic arch in three generations of a single family. To our knowledge, a familial form of PCOA has not been described.