The anterior spinal artery collateral in coarctation of the aorta. A clinical angiographic correlation.

A 10-year-old boy had acute flaccid paraparesis with sensory deficits. Attention was drawn to his hitherto asymptomatic coarctation of the aorta. Aniography defined the extent of the dilated anterior spinal artery, and reversal of the flow pattern. The residual deficits consisted of minimal impairment of long motor and lateral sensory tract functions in a unilateral fashion, suggesting a steal syndrome with transient ischemia to the spinal cord. Recovery preceded surgical correction of the coarctation.