The Coronary Arteries in Coarctation of the Aorta

The histological changes found in the coronary arteries in 15 patients with coarctation of the aorta have been described. Qualitative and quantitative studies were performed and the results compared with the findings of a matched control group of patients without heart disease. Severe changes in the intima during early life and even the severe atheroma which appears in young persons are considered to be a reaction to coronary hypertension. The striking thickening of the media in the coronary arteries is also thought to be a reaction to the altered hemodynamic forces. In coarctation of the aorta the coronary arteries are of greater than normal capacity, and it is suggested that this histological feature parallels the increased metabolic requirements of the left ventricle.