Is dextrocardia the same as situs inversus?

Is dextrocardia the same as situs inversus?

In people affected by dextrocardia, the tip of the heart points towards the right side of the chest instead of the left side. Situs inversus refers to the mirror-image reversal of the organs in the chest and abdominal cavity.

How rare is situs inversus with dextrocardia?

Dextrocardia affects an estimated 1 out of every 12,000 people . Dextrocardia situs inversus totalis affects approximately 1 out of every 10,000 children.

What does situs inversus look like?

In isolated situs inversus (occurring alone with no other abnormalities), there is a complete mirror image transposition of the thoracic (chest) and abdominal organs , and anterior-posterior (front-back) symmetry is normal. Many affected people have no associated health issues when the condition is isolated.

What are the various other anomalies associated with situs inversus?

Situs inversus may be associated with other congenital anomalies such as duodenal atresia, asplenism, multiple spleens, ectopic kidney, horseshoe kidney and various pulmonary and vascular abnormalities.

Can you have dextrocardia without inversus?

In dextrocardia, the heart is on the right side of the thorax with or without situs inversus. When the heart is right sided with inverted atria, the stomach is right sided, and the liver is left sided, the combination is dextrocardia with situs inversus.

How do you confirm dextrocardia?

Tests to diagnose dextrocardia include:

1. Chest x-ray.
2. CT scan of the heart.
3. Electrocardiogram.
4. MRI of the heart.
5. Echocardiogram.

How does situs inversus change the body?

Because the organs can be functional in situs inversus, it’s possible for a person to have no complications. Other patients can experience cardiac dysfunction or a lung condition called primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), which causes mucus buildup in the lungs. This can lead to chronic bronchitis and sinusitis.

What are the symptoms of Dextrocardia with situs inversus?

Some affected people have no obvious signs or symptoms. However, a small percentage of people also have congenital heart defects, usually transposition of the great vessels. Dextrocardia with situs inversus can also be associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia (also known as Kartagener syndrome ).

What causes Dextrocardia with situs inversus in fetus?

The exact cause of dextrocardia with situs inversus is not known, but the condition results from the abnormal positioning of the internal organs during fetal development.

What is levocardia with abdominal situs inversus?

Levocardia (left-sided cardiac apex) with abdominal situs inversus is extremely rare. This is also known as isolated levocardia and is almost always associated with severe forms of congenital heart defects with poor prognosis.

What kind of viscera do you have with dextrocardia?

Patients with dextrocardia may be divided into those with normally located abdominal viscera (visceroatrial situs solitus), those with inversely located atria and abdominal viscera (visceroatrial situs inversus), and those with visceral heterotaxy (inconsistent visceroatrial situs).

Does situs inversus affect the heart?

Situs inversus causes the positions of the heart and lungs to be mirrored. Situs inversus (also called situs transversus or oppositus) is a congenital condition in which the major visceral organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions. The normal arrangement of internal organs is known as situs solitus.

How rare is dextrocardia situs inversus totalis?

As it is recessive genes that cause dextrocardia, an individual must inherit a copy of the abnormal gene from both parents to develop the condition. Dextrocardia affects an estimated 1 out of every 12,000 people . Dextrocardia situs inversus totalis affects approximately 1 out of every 10,000 children.

Is dextrocardia compatible with life?

Background: Dextrocardia and situs inversus are still rare congenital abnormalities that are asymptomatic and compatible normal life. They are characterized by mirror image transposition of all intra-thoracic and intra-abdominal viscera.

Can situs inversus harm you?

What percentage of people have dextrocardia?

Less than 1 percent of the general population is born with dextrocardia. If you have isolated dextrocardia, your heart is located on the right side of your chest, but it has no other defects. Dextrocardia can also occur in a condition called situs inversus.

How is dextrocardia diagnosed on ECG?

4 In patients with dextrocardia, the standard 12-lead ECG will show marked right-axis deviation of the P wave and QRS complex, with lead I frequently demonstrating a largely negative QRS complex and inverted P and T waves. 5 The QRS complexes in leads aVR and aVL are reversed so that the R wave in lead aVR is positive.

Is situs inversus a disease?

Situs inversus is a condition in which the arrangement of the internal organs is a mirror image of normal anatomy. It can occur alone (isolated, with no other abnormalities or conditions) or it can occur as part of a syndrome with various other defects.

What causes dextrocardia situs inversus?

Dextrocardia with Situs Inversus, a rare condition that is present at birth, is transmitted by autosomal recessive genes. The primitive loop in the embryo moves into the reverse direction of its normal position during fetal development, causing displacement of organs.

What does Dextrocardia with situs inversus mean?

When the position of both the thoracic and abdominal viscera are reversed, this is referred to as dextrocardia with situs inversus (situs inversus totalis).

How is dextrocardia different from cardiac dextroposition?

This change in orientation differentiates it from cardiac dextroposition, where the heart is displaced to the right side as a result of extracardiac causes, such as a diaphragmatic hernia, right pneumonectomy, or right lung hypoplasia. In typical dextrocardia, the intracardiac anatomy is also reversed, termed as situs inversus.

Where is the cardiac apex located in dextrocardia?

Chest radiography can aid in confirming the diagnosis of dextrocardia with situs inversus, in which case the cardiac apex and aortic arch will be located in the right side of the chest, with the gastric air bubble located in the right upper abdomen.

What does dextrocardia mean in relation to levocardia?

Dextrocardia merely refers to the laterality of the heart, it says nothing about the orientation of the patient’s other organs. Levocardia is the term used for the heart being positioned on the left as is found in the vast majority of the healthy population.