SITUS INVERSUS TOTALIS, AN UNEXPECTED FINDING

Abstract

 Situs inversus totalis is a congenital positional anomaly of major visceral organs. For example, the left atrium of heart is positioned in right chest instead of its usual location on the left, a condition termed as Dextrocardia. The anatomic relation of the organs is maintained, however their positions are completely reversed, thus the patient remains asymptomatic, usually diagnosed incidentally. This case pertains to a 39 year old female who presented to the emergency department 18 days postpartum with chief complaints of bilateral pedal edema and orthopnea Her ECG and cardiac enzymes were sent to rule out myocardial infarction as a cause of her orthopnea. The ECG showed right axis deviation. Later, her echocardiography was carried out which confirmed a diagnosis of Postpartum Cardiomyopathy. On further imaging, the diagnosis of Situs Inversus with dextrocardia was established. Timely diagnosis of situs inversus is necessary as it is associated with abnormalities like Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia and early screening aids in reducing comorbidities and mortality This case highlights the utmost importance of prompt diagnosis of situs inversus as most often such cases remain asymptomatic and are diagnosed incidentally.