Page 36 - Virtual Vascular Vol 2 Sep 2020-f

In patients with situs inversus, the heart is not in its usual position

in the left chest, but is on the right. A condition known as

dextrocardia.

Situs Inversus

• Situs inversus is a congenital condition in which the major visceral
organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions

• It occurs in 0.01% of the population, and is an autosomal recessive
developmental anomaly

• Patients do not have any symptoms, and situs inversus is usually
incidental findings when they have X rays or CTs

• From surgical point of view, this is not a mere clinical curiosity, as situs
inversus may influence the entire surgical diagnosis and management

approach (e.g. left sided chest pain for angina pectoris, and left sided

abdominal pain for acute cholecystitis or acute appendicitis).

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