Skip to main content

Abstract

Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is a rare congenital heart disease. It consists of a discontinuity between two segments of the aortic arch. The location of this interruption is the basis for a widely accepted classification in three types. IAA often has a genetic basis and usually occurs in association with other anomalies, especially ventricular septal defect. IAA is fatal in the neonatal period, if left untreated. The management was greatly improved with the introduction of prostaglandin E1, which allowed for preoperative stabilization. The surgical treatment has evolved from a staged approach to a primary surgical repair. The operative repair results have improved significantly in the last two decades. However, IAA remains a surgical challenge, in the acute outcomes and in the late recurrent aortic arch or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    This chapter was based on our previous work: del Nido PJ, Geva T. Interrupted aortic arch. In: Gongora GD, Reyes NS, Velez Moreno JF, Angel GC. (Editors) Cardiologia Pediatrica. second Edition. McGraw-Hill 2018;489-501 (ISBN: 978-958-8813-70-7).

Abbreviations

CHD :

Congenital heart disease

CMR:

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance

CT:

Computed tomography

CV:

Cardiovascular

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

ECG:

Electrocardiogram

HTN:

Hypertension

IAA:

Interrupted aortic arch

LV:

Left ventricle

LVOT:

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction

VSD:

Ventricular septal defect

References

  1. Steidele RJ (1778) Samml Chir u Med Beob (Vienna) 2:114

    Google Scholar 

  2. Seidel JF. Index Musei Anatomici Kiliensis. 1818;CF Mohr, Kiel:61

    Google Scholar 

  3. Weisman D, Kesten HD (1948) Absence of transverse aortic arch with defects of cardiac septums; report of a case simulating acute abdominal disease in a newborn infant. Am J Dis Child 76(3):326–330

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gokcebay TM, Batillas J, Pinck RL (1972) Complete interruption of the aorta at the arch. Am J Roentgenol Radium Therapy, Nucl Med 114(2):362–370

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Elliott RB, Starling MB, Neutze JM (1975) Medical manipulation of the ductus arteriosus. Lancet 1(7899):140–142

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Fyler DC, Buckley LP, Hellenbrand WE, Cohn HE (1980) Report of the New England Regional Infant Cardiac Program. Pediatrics 65(2 Pt 2):375–461

    Google Scholar 

  7. Powell CB, Stone FM, Atkins DL, Watson DG, Moller JH (1997) Operative mortality and frequency of coexistent anomalies in interruption of the aortic arch. Am J Cardiol 79(8):1147–1148

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Conley ME, Beckwith JB, Mancer JF, Tenckhoff L (1979) The spectrum of the DiGeorge syndrome. J Pediatr 94(6):883–890

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Van Mierop LH, Kutsche LM (1986) Cardiovascular anomalies in DiGeorge syndrome and importance of neural crest as a possible pathogenetic factor. Am J Cardiol 58(1):133–137

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Goldmuntz E (2005) DiGeorge syndrome: new insights. Clin Perinatol 32(4):963–978. ix-x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Lewin MB, Lindsay EA, Jurecic V, Goytia V, Towbin JA, Baldini A (1997) A genetic etiology for interruption of the aortic arch type B. Am J Cardiol 80(4):493–497

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Martin DM, Mindell MH, Kwierant CA, Glover TW, Gorski JL (2003) Interrupted aortic arch in a child with trisomy 5q31.1q35.1 due to a maternal (20,5) balanced insertion. Am J Med Genet 116A(3):268–271

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ito T, Okubo T, Sato H (2002) Familial 22q11.2 deletion: an infant with interrupted aortic arch and DiGeorge syndrome delivered from by a mother with tetralogy of Fallot. Eur J Pediatr 161(3):173–174

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Binder M (1985) The teratogenic effects of a bis(dichloroacetyl)diamine on hamster embryos. Aortic arch anomalies and the pathogenesis of the DiGeorge syndrome. Am J Pathol 118(2):179–193

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Van Praagh R, Bernhard WF, Rosenthal A, Parisi LF, Fyler DC (1971) Interrupted aortic arch: surgical treatment. Am J Cardiol 27(2):200–211

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Van Mierop LH, Kutsche LM (1984) Interruption of the aortic arch and coarctation of the aorta: pathogenetic relations. Am J Cardiol 54(7):829–834

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Rudolph AM, Heymann MA, Spitznas U (1972) Hemodynamic considerations in the development of narrowing of the aorta. Am J Cardiol 30(5):514–525

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Bockman DE, Kirby ML (1984) Dependence of thymus development on derivatives of the neural crest. Science 223(4635):498–500

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kirby ML, Turnage KL 3rd, Hays BM (1985) Characterization of conotruncal malformations following ablation of "cardiac" neural crest. Anat Rec 213(1):87–93

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Roberts WC, Morrow AG, Braunwald E (1962) Complete interruption of the aortic arch. Circulation 26:39–59

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Celoria GC, Patton RB (1959) Congenital absence of the aortic arch. Am Heart J 58:407–413

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Jegatheeswaran A, McCrindle BW, Blackstone EH et al (2010) Persistent risk of subsequent procedures and mortality in patients after interrupted aortic arch repair: a Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society study. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 140(5):1059–1075. e1052

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Pierpont ME, Zollikofer CL, Moller JH, Edwards JE (1982) Interruption of the aortic arch with right descending aorta. A rare condition and a cause of bronchial compression. Pediatr Cardiol 2(2):153–159

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Geva T, Gajarski RJ (1995) Echocardiographic diagnosis of type B interruption of a right aortic arch. Am Heart J 129(5):1042–1045

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Kutsche LM, Van Mierop LH (1984) Cervical origin of the right subclavian artery in aortic arch interruption: pathogenesis and significance. Am J Cardiol 53(7):892–895

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Uppu SC, Shinkawa T, Imamura M (2012) Single institution experience with a right-sided interrupted aortic arch. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 15(4):802–804

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Kreutzer J, Van Praagh R (2000) Comparison of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in interruption of the aortic arch and in coarctation of the aorta, with diagnostic, developmental, and surgical implications. Am J Cardiol 86(8):856–862

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Van Praagh R, Geva T, Kreutzer J (1989) Ventricular septal defects: how shall we describe, name and classify them? J Am Coll Cardiol 14(5):1298–1299

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Moulaert AJ, Oppenheimer-Dekker A (1976) Anterolateral muscle bundle of the left ventricle, bulboventricular flange and subaortic stenosis. Am J Cardiol 37(1):78–81

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Van Praagh R (1987) Truncus arteriosus: what is it really and how should it be classified? Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 1(2):65–70

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Roubertie F, Kalfa D, Vergnat M, Ly M, Lambert V, Belli E (2015) Aortopulmonary window and the interrupted aortic arch: midterm results with use of the single-patch technique. Ann Thorac Surg 99(1):186–191

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Neye-Bock S, Fellows KE (1980) Aortic arch interruption in infancy: radio- and angiographic features. AJR Am J Roentgenol 135(5):1005–1010

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Jaffe RB (1975) Complete interruption of the aortic arch. 1. Characteristic radiographic findings in 21 patients. Circulation 52(4):714–721

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Vogel M, Vernon MM, McElhinney DB, Brown DW, Colan SD, Tworetzky W (2010) Fetal diagnosis of interrupted aortic arch. Am J Cardiol 105(5):727–734

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Kaulitz R, Jonas RA, van der Velde ME (1999) Echocardiographic assessment of interrupted aortic arch. Cardiol Young 9(6):562–571

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Geva T (2009) Anomalies of the atrial septum. In: Lai WL, Mertens LL, Cohen MS, Geva T (eds) Echocardiography in pediatric and congenital heart disease. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK, pp 158–174

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  37. Geva T, Hornberger LK, Sanders SP, Jonas RA, Ott DA, Colan SD (1993) Echocardiographic predictors of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction after repair of interrupted aortic arch. J Am Coll Cardiol 22(7):1953–1960

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Apfel HD, Levenbraun J, Quaegebeur JM, Allan LD (1998) Usefulness of preoperative echocardiography in predicting left ventricular outflow obstruction after primary repair of interrupted aortic arch with ventricular septal defect. Am J Cardiol 82(4):470–473

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Chen PC, Cubberley AT, Reyes K et al (2013) Predictors of reintervention after repair of interrupted aortic arch with ventricular septal defect. Ann Thorac Surg 96(2):621–628

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Tzifa A, Komnou A, Loggitsi D (2013) Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in a premature baby with interrupted aortic arch and aortopulmonary window. Cardiol Young 23(5):742–745

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Yang DH, Goo HW, Seo DM et al (2008) Multislice CT angiography of interrupted aortic arch. Pediatr Radiol 38(1):89–100

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Dorfman AL, Geva T (2006) Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of congenital heart disease: conotruncal anomalies. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 8(4):645–659

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Alsaied T, Friedman K, Masci M, Hoganson DM, Baird CW, Geva T, Type B (2019) Interrupted right aortic arch: diagnostic and surgical approaches. Ann Thorac Surg 107(1):e41–e43

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Shinkawa T, Jaquiss RD, Imamura M (2012) Single institutional experience of interrupted aortic arch repair over 28 years. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 14(5):551–555

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  45. Visconti KJ, Rimmer D, Gauvreau K et al (2006) Regional low-flow perfusion versus circulatory arrest in neonates: one-year neurodevelopmental outcome. Ann Thorac Surg 82(6):2207–2211. discussion 2211-2203

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Jahangiri M, Zurakowski D, Mayer JE, del Nido PJ, Jonas RA (2000) Repair of the truncal valve and associated interrupted arch in neonates with truncus arteriosus. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 119(3):508–514

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Kobayashi M, Ando M, Wada N, Takahashi Y (2009) Outcomes following surgical repair of aortic arch obstructions with associated cardiac anomalies. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 35(4):565–568

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Brown JW, Ruzmetov M, Okada Y, Vijay P, Rodefeld MD, Turrentine MW (2006) Outcomes in patients with interrupted aortic arch and associated anomalies: a 20-year experience. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 29(5):666–673. discussion 673-664

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Haas F, Goldberg CS, Ohye RG, Mosca RS, Bove EL (2000) Primary repair of aortic arch obstruction with ventricular septal defect in preterm and low birth weight infants. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 17(6):643–647

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Shi G, Chen H, Jinghao Z, Zhang H, Zhu Z, Liu J (2014) Primary complete repair of interrupted aortic arch with associated lesions in infants. J Card Surg 29(5):686–691

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. McCrindle BW, Tchervenkov CI, Konstantinov IE et al (2005) Risk factors associated with mortality and interventions in 472 neonates with interrupted aortic arch: a Congenital Heart Surgeons Society study. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 129(2):343–350

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Hussein A, Iyengar AJ, Jones B, et al. Twenty-three years of single-stage end-to-side anastomosis repair of interrupted aortic arches. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010;139(4):942-947., 949; discussion 948

    Google Scholar 

  53. Aristotle Complexity Score Project. http://www.aristotleinstituteorg/scoring/BasicScoreasp

  54. Jonas RA, Quaegebeur JM, Kirklin JW, Blackstone EH, Daicoff G (1994) Outcomes in patients with interrupted aortic arch and ventricular septal defect. A multiinstitutional study. Congenital Heart Surgeons Society. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 107(4):1099–1109. discussion 1109-1013

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Oosterhof T, Azakie A, Freedom RM, Williams WG, McCrindle BW (2004) Associated factors and trends in outcomes of interrupted aortic arch. Ann Thorac Surg 78(5):1696–1702

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. O'Byrne ML, Mercer-Rosa L, Zhao H et al (2014) Morbidity in children and adolescents after surgical correction of interrupted aortic arch. Pediatr Cardiol 35(3):386–392

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Todman SH, Eltayeb O, Ruzmetov M et al (2013) Outcomes of interrupted aortic arch repair using the carotid artery turndown procedure. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 145(1):176–182

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Sato S, Akiba T, Nakasato M, Suzuki H, Sato T (1996) Percutaneous balloon aortoplasty for restenosis after extended aortic arch anastomosis for type B interrupted aortic arch. Pediatr Cardiol 17(4):275–277

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Mery CM, Khan MS, Guzman-Pruneda FA et al (2014) Contemporary results of surgical repair of recurrent aortic arch obstruction. Ann Thorac Surg 98(1):133–140. discussion 140-131

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Salem MM, Starnes VA, Wells WJ et al (2000) Predictors of left ventricular outflow obstruction following single-stage repair of interrupted aortic arch and ventricular septal defect. Am J Cardiol 86(9):1044–1047. A1011

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Schreiber C, Eicken A, Vogt M et al (2000) Repair of interrupted aortic arch: results after more than 20 years. Ann Thorac Surg 70(6):1896–1899. discussion 1899-1900

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Section Editor information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Martins, J.D., Prakash, A., Trigo, C., Fragata, J., Geva, T. (2021). Interrupted Aortic Arch. In: da Cruz, E.M., Ivy, D., Hraska, V., Jaggers, J. (eds) Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery and Intensive Care. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4999-6_28-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4999-6_28-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics