Coarctation of aorta

**Definition:** A congenital cardiovascular malformation in which there is a discrete luminal narrowing of the junction between the aortic arch and the descending aorta.

Additional information: 'Coarctation of the aorta' generally indicates a narrowing of the descending thoracic aorta just distal to the left subclavian artery. However, the term may also be accurately used to refer to a region of narrowing anywhere in the thoracic or abdominal aorta.