Coarctation of Aorta Masquerading as a Spinal Arteriovenous Malformation: A Case Report

Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital disease involving the cardiovascular system. It has a varied presentation and is often under-diagnosed in clinical practice. The authors report a case of an unusual presentation of coarctation of the aorta with a series of events leading to the final diagnosis. A 28-year-old man presented with complaints of backache and pain in both lower limbs with tingling and numbness for 8 months. He was provisionally diagnosed with spinal arteriovenous malformation based on investigations done elsewhere and was referred to the authors’ hospital for further management. On angiography, the transfemoral catheter and guide wire could not be negotiated beyond the descending thoracic aorta distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery. Transradial access demonstrated the coarctation of the aorta. Coarctation presenting as a spinal pathology is rare and has been described only in few of the literatures, so it is important to recognise it. This article also describes the pathophysiology and radiological features of coarctation.