[Renal failure and aortic coartaction. Report of two cases of newborns successfully treated (author's transl)].

Congestive heart failure may frequently occur in patients with isolated coarctation of the aorta within the first six months of life. Renal failure is on the contrary a very rare pathologic sequela. This is caused by a low renal blood flow related either to a poorly developed collateral circulation or in those instances of preductal coartation to an early closure of ductus arteriosus. Peritoneal dyalisis is very effective in these critically ill infants both in correcting biochemical abnormalitics and in supporting cardiac performance. Surgical treatment is however the only way to restore normal renal blood flow and good cardiac output. This report describes two patients with isolated coarctation of the aorta in whom renal failure developed within the first two months of life. Both patients were successfully treated by peritoneal dyalisis and subsequent surgical intervention.