Coarctation of the Aorta Operated on Adults at the National University Hospital Center Hubert Koutoukou Maga (CNHU-HKM) of Cotonou: About 3 Cases

Abstract

Introduction: Coarctation of the aorta, a non cyanogenic congenital heart disease, is a cause of arterial hypertension in young persons, most often managed surgically. We report three cases of coarctation of the aorta in adults operated on at the CNHU-HKM in Cotonou (Benin). Case presentation: our three patients were male with a mean age of 23.3 years. Arterial hypertension of the thoracic limbs with hypotension of the pelvic limbs and a decrease in pelvic limb pulses was the clinical presentation observed. All three patients were diagnosed by transthoracic cardiac echocardiography. On thoracic angioscanner, the location was isthmic in all cases. They all underwent surgical resection of the coarctation, with restoration of aortic continuity by interposition of a Dacron prosthetic graft. Post-operative complications included immediate post-operative grade 3 hypertension, one case of chylothorax, one case of pleuropneumopathy and one case of post-operative hemorrhage. At one year, grade 1 hypertension persisted in one patient. Conclusion: Coarctation of the aorta can be successfully operated in Benin. Post-operative follow-up must be meticulous, in search of residual hypertension.