[Aortic coarctation: so close to the fingertips of the hand, but so far from clinical diagnosis].

Introduction: Patients with aortic coarctation frequently present a delay in diagnosis mainly in newborns and infants, since the respiratory symptoms predominate in this age group. The absence of an adequate physical examination, with emphasis on the palpation of the pulses in the four extremities, in addition to the absence to obtain of blood pressure, condemns these patients to a fortuitous finding or event before the diagnosis can be made.

Method: Retrospective, descriptive and observational study.

Results: Three patients under 1 year of age were included in the study. We present the "way of the cross" to reach the diagnosis, its outcomes and treatment.

Conclusion: The primary clinical reflections for clinical diagnosis for the first contact physician are discussed.