[Aortic coarctation and pregnancy].

The association of coarctation of the aorta and pregnancy has been cause of concern among the various medical specialties involved in the care of patients with these conditions, as this cardiovascular abnormality is included in the list of disease potentially critical during pregnancy. The individually reported experience with this association has not been large, on account of the male predominance of this relatively rare congenital entity. The experience in the Internal Medicine Service of the "Concepción Palacios" Maternity Hospital of Caracas, Venezuela, between 1968 and 1985 is presented. Nine cases represented 2.9% of the congenital cardiovascular diseases, 0.84% of all cardiovascular diagnoses and 1.06 per 100.000 of all patients obstetrically attended during that period. In our experience, pregnancy is feasible in patients with coarctation, tolerance to gestation is generally good and fertility is not adversely affected, as well as prematurity and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The unique clinical situation of each patient, is to be nevertheless individually analyzed, especially in search for any other associated circulatory pathologic condition (s) which might render the patient more vulnerable than the average in the general group. The obstetric must prevail over the cardiologic criteria in the majority of cases, as to the mode of termination of pregnancy.