Rare anomaly of the aortic arch combined with coarctation of the aorta.

Introduction Several reports on anomalies of the aortic arch concomitant with coaretation of the aorta are to be found in the literature.3 This paper describes such anomalies as they were found in two of our surgical cases, which showed unusual features not hitherto described in the literature available to us. These anomalies, although rare, are of practical importance with a view to differential diagnosis. The etiology of coarctation is still obscure. The two cases presented in this paper should be taken into account in any attempt to explain the condition on the basis of embryological considerations. The descriptions so far given in the literature stated that the right subclavian artery or the right aortic arch occurred distal to the coarctation.1’ 2 8 We were unable to find a single report on a right subclavian artery or a double arch proximal to the coarctation. And it was precisely this condition which we found in the two patients to be described. Edwards4 recently described a case of Taussig-Bing complex with coarctation, in which the right subclavian artery arose proximal to the coarctation. In the first of our two cases the right subclavian artery arose from the aorta above the coarctation; in the second case the double aortic arch was localized above the coarctation. In both cases the coarctation was found opposite the insertion of the ligamentum arteriosum.