New morphologic approach to the classification of anomalies of the aortic arch

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to simplify the description of congenital anomalies of the aortic arch by developing a new classification system. Nine selected cases were retrospectively analyzed with the current classification and the new classification. We found that single anomalies of position or caliber were easy to classify. When complex anomalies were present classification was difficult, because only one aspect of the anomaly gives undue emphasis to that feature. We conclude that a system that details each anomaly on the basis of its abnormality of position and caliber, with reference to the normal situation, is an improvement. This new classification includes all of the potential aortic anomalies and facilitates their analysis. It appears to be a logical system that recognizes that congenital aortic malformations are a continuous spectrum from those anomalies purely of position to those purely of caliber.