The remarkable anomaly of congenital stenosis of the isthmus of the aorta is replete with complications that involve the nervous system sufficiently often to command our attention. An idea of the incidence of this anomaly may be obtained by noting Fawcett's 1 review of 22,316 necropsy examinations conducted at Guy's Hospital between 1826 and 1902, in which he encountered stenosis of the isthmus eighteen times. A searching, although necessarily incomplete, review of the literature disclosed thirty-two cases in which some neurologic complication occurred. This group represents about 7 per cent of the reported cases of stenosis of the isthmus.2
ANATOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
A discussion of this anomaly from embryologic, anatomic and semiologic standpoints, while interesting, has been presented ably many times and it is not necessary here. The site of stenosis of the isthmus in the adult is almost invariably proximal to the junction of the ligamentum arteriosum with the