Aortic coarctation electrocardiogram


 * Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S.[mailto:psingh@perfuse.org], ; Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S.[mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org]

Overview
Electrocardiogram may be used as a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of an aortic coarctations. ECG findings associated with an aortic coarctation depend on the severity of the coarc. Milder cases may show signs of a normal ECG. However, more severe coarctations will have abnormal ECGs showing evidence of ventricular hypertrophy.

Electrocardiogram
In infants and adolescents, an aortic coarctation may be asymptomatic on an electrocardiogram and show no evidence of abnormal tracings. This is generally true of milder forms of aortic coarctation. Patients with additional associated congenital heart disease may have abnormal ECG tracings as a result of the complications/interactions of multiple conditions. In infants, severe aortic coarctation will present in right ventricular hypertrophy.

In older adolescents and adults, milder forms of the coarctation may present in a normal ECG. More severe coarctations will present in left ventricular hypertrophy where there are T wave and ST wave changes/abnormalities found in the left precordial leads. In some severe cases, evidence may present that includes right ventricular conduction delay