The congenital cardiovascular anomalies underlying "reversed coarctation"

The anatomic derangements which may be responsible for reversed coarctation have been reviewed. This finding is most likely with congenital malformations where the aortic blood flow is derived wholly or partially from the right ventricle through a patent ductus arteriosus, and a coarctation of the aorta obstructs retrograde aortic flow, as in aortic and mitral atresia, or when interruption of the aortic arch is accompanied by subaortic stenosis. It may also be encountered in cases of supravalvular aortic stenosis with accompanying stenosis of the ostia of the brachiocephalic vessels. The clinical detection of reversed coarctation may be a valuable pointer to the presence of one of the more serious forms of cardiac disease, particularly in the first few months of life.