Obstructive lesions in the aortic arch in children: A one year experience from a tertiary centre from western India

Background: Obstructive lesions in the aortic arch form a substantial disease burden in emergency care, outpatients and hospitalized children with congenital structural heart disease.

Objectives: To determine the clinical findings, imaging abnormalities and short term (<6 months) post-intervention outcomes in patients presenting with obstructive lesions of the aortic arch.

Method: A prospective observational study was conducted in children (less than 18 years of age) admitted with structural aortic arch obstructive lesions at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai from 1^st of January to 31^st of December, 2019.

Results: There were 25 children admitted with structural aortic arch obstructive lesions during the study period; 14 (56%) were diagnosed as coarctation of aorta (COA), 8 (32%) as hypoplastic aortic arch and 3 (12%) as interrupted aortic arch. Eight (32%) admitted patients underwent catheter-based intervention and 17 (68%) patients required surgery. Re-coarctation was more common in patients with catheter-based intervention.

Conclusions: In the 25 children admitted with structural aortic arch obstructive lesions, 56% had COA, 32% hypoplastic arch and 12% interrupted aortic arch. Whilst 32% underwent catheter-based intervention, 68% required surgery.

Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2022; 51(4): 598-604