Dextrocardia
Dextrocardia[edit | edit source]
Dextrocardia (from Latin dexter, meaning "right," and Greek kardia, meaning "heart") is a rare congenital condition in which the apex of the heart is located on the right side of the body.[1] There are two main types of dextrocardia: dextrocardia of embryonic arrest (also known as isolated dextrocardia) [citation needed]
and dextrocardia situs inversus. Dextrocardia situs inversus is further divided.
Classification[edit | edit source]
Dextrocardia of embryonic arrest[edit | edit source]
In this form of dextrocardia, the heart is simply placed further right in the thorax than is normal. It is commonly associated with severe defects of the heart and related abnormalities including pulmonary hypoplasia.[2]
Dextrocardia situs inversus[edit | edit source]
Dextrocardia with situs inversus refers to the heart being a mirror image situated on the right side. For all visceral organs to be mirrored, the correct term is dextrocardia situs inversus totalis.
Although statistically people with dextrocardia do not have any medical problems from the disorder, they may be prone to a number of bowel, esophageal, bronchial and cardiovascular disorders (such as double outlet right ventricle, endocardial cushion defect and pulmonary stenosis).[3] Certain cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders related to dextrocardia can be life-threatening if left unchecked (see reference).
Kartagener syndrome may also be present in patients with dextrocardia but this must be in the setting of situs inversus and may include male infertility.[4]
Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
Medical diagnosis of the two forms of congenital dextrocardia can be made by ECG[2] or imaging.
Technical dextrocardia[edit | edit source]
Technical dextrocardia refers to an ECG reading that has no basis in the patient's anatomy. This apparent presentation is typically caused by the accidental lead placement of the left and right arm electrodes. Usually this would show as an extreme axis deviation.
Management[edit | edit source]
ECG leads must be placed in reversed positions on a person with dextrocardia. In addition, when defibrillating someone with dextrocardia, the pads should be placed in reverse positions.[5] That is, instead of upper right and lower left, pads should be placed upper left and lower right.[6]
When heart transplantation is required in a person with situs inversus, reconstruction of the venous pathways to accommodate a normal donor heart is a major, but not insurmountable, challenge.[7]
Epidemiology[edit | edit source]
Dextrocardia is believed to occur in approximately 1 in 12,019 pregnancies.[8]
A Japanese study of 1,753 fetal cardiac echocardiograms over five years revealed only two cases.[9]
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| External resources |
|
- Dextrocardia at NIH's Office of Rare Diseases
- Dextrocardia with situs inversus at NIH's Office of Rare Diseases
| Side | Left | Both | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Ambidexterity | ||
| In cognitive abilities | Geschwind–Galaburda hypothesis | ||
| In brain | |||
| In eyes | Ocular dominance | ||
| In hands | Left-handedness | Cross-dominance | Right-handedness |
| Handedness in boxing | Southpaw stance | Orthodox stance | |
| Handedness in people | Musicians | ||
| Handedness related to | |||
| Handedness measurement | Edinburgh Handedness Inventory | ||
| Handedness genetics | LRRTM1 | ||
| In heart | Levocardia | Dextrocardia | |
| In major viscera | Situs solitus | Situs ambiguus | Situs inversus |
| In feet | Footedness | ||
| Footedness in surfing | Regular foot | Goofy foot | |
| Dextrocardia Resources | |
|---|---|
|
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Kondreddy Naveen
