Interrupted aortic arch - type B2

Case Discussion

Interrupted aortic arch is a very rare heart defect affecting 3 per million live births. Interrupted aortic arch is defined as a complete luminal and anatomical interruption between the ascending and descending aortas. In most cases, it is associated with intracardiac malformations, such as ventricular septal defect, bicuspid aortic valve, and patent ductus arteriosus.

There are three types of the interrupted aortic arch, and they are classified according to the site of the interruption:

• Type A: The interruption occurs just beyond the left subclavian artery. 30-40% of the infants with interrupted aortic arch have type A.
• Type B: The interruption occurs between the left carotid artery and the left subclavian artery. Type B is the most common form of the interrupted aortic arch. It accounts for about 53% of reported cases.
• Type C: The interruption occurs between the innominate artery and the left carotid artery. Type C is the least common form of the interrupted aortic arch, accounting for about 4% of reported cases.

Each type is divided into three subtypes:

• subtype 1: normal subclavian artery
• subtype 2: aberrant subclavian artery
• subtype 3: isolated subclavian artery that arises from the ductus arteriosus

In this case, the interruption is between the left carotid artery and the left subclavian artery with an aberrant subclavian artery (type B2) and findings are confirmed during a surgical procedure (Modified Yasui operation) and the patient is doing well.

Appreciation is extended to Dr. Ajay Prashanth Dsouza, Dr. Muhammad Anwar, Dr.Mohamed Sulaiman, Jukha Shater Ali Ali AL Badawi, and fellow Radiographers / Radiology Nurses, Department of Radiology, Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital, Dubai, UAE.for contributing this case.