Dextrocardia with Situs Inversus in an 18-Year-Old Nigerian Female: The Computed Tomographic Findings and a Case Report

Abstract

Dextrocardia is a cardiac positional anomaly in which the heart is located in the right hemithorax with its base to apex axis directed to the right and caudad. The malposition is intrinsic to the heart and not caused by extracardiac abnormalities. Dextrocardia is a rare condition and usually found incidentally and in association with other congenital abnormalities. It has an incidence of less than 1%. This is an 18 year old Nigerian female who was referred for computed tomography (CT) of the chest on account of prolonged and recurrent cough with a suspicion of diffuse interstitial lung disease. The chest and upper abdominal CT scan showed dextrocardia with a right placed heart, displaced spleen and stomach to the right hemi-abdomen and liver displaced to the left hemi-abdomen; confirming the diagnosis of dextrocardia with situs inversus. We present this case of dextrocardia with abdominal situs inversus due to its rarity in literature.