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Case Reports
. 2024 Nov 20;16(11):e74061.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.74061. eCollection 2024 Nov.

A Rare Case of Situs Inversus Partialis With Levocardia in a 73-Year-Old Patient

Omar Salaheldin Ibrahim Mahrous  1 , Kah Cheong Tong  1 , Osahon Andrew Gbinigie  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Rare Case of Situs Inversus Partialis With Levocardia in a 73-Year-Old Patient

Omar Salaheldin Ibrahim Mahrous et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Situs inversus partialis (SIP) is an extremely rare congenital disorder in which most of the visceral organs are located on the opposite side of their usual anatomical locations. The condition is usually associated with levocardia, in which the apex of the heart is directed toward the left side. In our case study, a female patient with a history of dysphagia and weight loss presented to the outpatient clinic under the urgent two-week wait pathway. She underwent a CT scan of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis, which revealed that she has SIP in which some of the abdominal organs are reversed and others are in their normal anatomical locations. The patient was diagnosed with esophageal carcinoma. However, because of her rare condition, it was challenging to insert a nasogastric tube into her reversed stomach and to explore other feeding options, e.g., jejunostomy. This report discusses a rare case of SIP, incidentally discovered in a patient with suspected esophageal malignancy, and its associated surgical challenges in her management.

Keywords: congenital birth defect; dysphagia; esophageal carcinoma; situs inversus with levocardia; weight loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. CT-TAP showing concentric esophageal thickening
CT-TAP: computerized tomography scan of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis
Figure 2
Figure 2. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showing esophageal mass at the lower part of the esophagus
Figure 3
Figure 3. Posterior-anterior view chest X-ray showing the apex of the heart on the left side, nasogastric tube curving to the right below the diaphragm, gastric air bubbles on the right side, and an air-fluid level due to esophageal obstruction
NG: nasogastric
Figure 4
Figure 4. CT-TAP showing the head of the pancreas and the stomach on the right side
CT-TAP: computerized tomography scan of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis
Figure 5
Figure 5. CT-TAP showing the aorta, with calcification of the aortic wall. The aorta is located on the right side and the IVC is located on the left
CT-TAP: computerized tomography scan of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis; IVC: inferior vena cava
Figure 6
Figure 6. CT-TAP showing polysplenia on the right-hand side
CT-TAP: computerized tomography scan of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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