Reduced left ventricular dimension and normalized atrial natriuretic hormone level after repair of aortic coarctation in an adult.

Although unusual in the older patient, coarctation of the aorta can be an occult cause of cardiomyopathy. This report describes a 53-year-old man with new-onset heart failure symptoms, global left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and underlying aortic coarctation. Surgical correction resulted in reduced LV size, resolution of symptoms, and normalization of atrial natriuretic hormone levels.