Isolated atresia of the aortic arch in a 65-year-old man. Surgical treatment and review of published reports.

Isolated atresia of the aortic arch is rare. In aortic arch atresia the arch is continuous, yet a segment of it is atretic so that apart from a collateral circulation, communication with the lower aortic segment is absent. Haemodynamically, the condition is similar to complete interruption of the aortic arch. To our knowledge only 10 cases of isolated aortic arch atresia or interruption have been reported. '9 In eight cases, the diagnosis was confirmed at operation, one case was diagnosed but untreated,8 and in one patient, the diagnosis was made at necropsy.I In this report we present a 65-year-old man with isolated atresia of the aortic arch which was subsequently corrected by operation. The anatomical aspects, diagnostic problems, and surgical approach are discussed, with a review of the previously published cases.