Atypical Presentation of Coarctation of Aorta Mimicking a Spinal Vascular Malformation

Abstract

Coarctation of the aorta accounts for about 8% of all congenital heart diseases. It usually presents in infancy or later in the third decade depending on its severity. It has a wide spectrum varying from an asymptomatic presentation to cardiac and extracardiac manifestations with neurological complications. Coarctation presenting as a spinal complication is extremely rare. We describe a case of coarctation detected on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a 40-year-old man with an uncommon presentation mimicking a spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM). To our knowledge, coarctation presenting with a spinal manifestation, resembling an AVM is rare, and has not been reported to date.