Interrupted aortic arch in an adolescent male.

Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is an uncommon and usually lethal congenital malformation. The present report describes an unusual case of IAA, an aneurysmal ascending aorta and a bicuspid aorta in a 15-year-old boy. He presented with general malaise, weakness of his legs, headache and hypertension that began six months earlier. He had suffered from effort intolerance since childhood. A three-dimensional gadolinium contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiogram demonstrated IAA and a markedly developed collateral circulation. IAA is an uncommon disease that is rarely encountered in an adolescent patient with nonspecific symptoms or hypertension. The present case also shows the clinical value of three-dimensional gadolinium contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography for noninvasive assessment of the aortic arch, and magnetic resonance angiography can replace angiography in the assessment of aortic arch anomalies and visualization of well-developed collaterals.