Pseudocoarctation of aorta and aberrant origin of left vertebral artery
Presentation
Palpitations
Patient Data
Focal kinking or buckling is seen in the inferior aspect of wall of the arch of aorta, suggestive of pseudocoarctation of aorta.
Left vertebral artery has an aberrant, separate origin from the aortic arch, just distal to the origin of left subclavian artery. It enters left transverse foramen of C7 vertebra.
Case Discussion
Focal kinking or buckling was seen in the inferior aspect of wall of the arch of aorta suggestive of pseudocoarctation of aorta. However, no significant stenosis of aortic lumen was seen. No enlargement of collateral arteries or dilatation of ascending aorta seen. No left ventricular hypertrophy was noted. These features were helpful to differentiate it from a true coarctation of aorta. Pseudocoarctation of aorta is very rare congenital aortic arch anomaly 1.
Left vertebral artery has an aberrant, separate origin from the aortic arch 2, just distal to the origin of left subclavian artery. It enters the left transverse foramen of C7 vertebra; this is an unusual variant as the left vertebral artery usually starts ascending through the left transverse foramina from the height of C6 (V2 segment).