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Coarctation of the aorta, or aortic narrowing (abbreviated as CoA), is a congenital condition whereby the aorta narrows in the area where the ductus arteriosus (ligamentum arteriosum after regression) inserts.: Coarctation (narrowing) of the aorta. 1:Inferior vena cava, 2:Right pulmonary veins, 3: Right pulmonary artery, 4:Superior vena cava, 5:Left pulmonary artery, 6:Left pulmonary veins, 7:Right ventricle, 8:Left ventricle, 9:Pulmonary artery, 10:Aorta.
The aorta is the major blood vessel that arises from the left ventricle and is separated from it by the aortic valve. The left main coronary artery arises from above the left portion of the aortic valve and then usually divides into two branches, known as the left anterior descending (LAD) and the circumflex (Circ) coronary arteries. In some patients, a third branch arises in between the LAD and the Circ. This is known as the ramus (pronounced ray-muss), intermediate , or optional diagonal coronary artery. The LAD travels in the groove (known as the inter-ventricular groove) that runs in the anterior or front portion the heart.