Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a congenital heart disease that occurs in 3–4 per 10 000 live births with a male predominance. It is defined as a localized narrowing of the aortic lumen. Although it’s the most common cause of non-endocrine secondary hypertension, CoA can still present a diagnostic challenge in those presenting beyond the neonatal period. In fact, CoA is missed in about 85% of patients referred to a hospital for hypertension or murmurs (JI. Hoffman. Cardiovasc J Afr 2018; 29: 252–255).

Because of the concealment of CoA, we present an interesting case of a young male patient with CoA who was initially diagnosed by peripheral vascular ultrasound instead of physical examination or aortic imaging, thus providing a working diagnosis for physicians.

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Bibliographical Record
Wen Zhou, Shunji Gao, Rui Du, Huijuan Xiang, Yuejuan Gao, Wenhong Gao. Congenital coarctation of the aorta: Role of peripheral vascular ultrasound in young hypertensive patients.. Ultrasound Int Open 2024; 10: a24361007.
DOI: 10.1055/a-2436-1007