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. 2025 Jul 30;13(8):e70604.
doi: 10.1002/ccr3.70604. eCollection 2025 Aug.

A Rare Case of Dextrocardia With Atrioventricular Septal Defect and Situs Inversus in an 8-Month-Old Infant Complicated by Severe Acute Malnutrition

Michael Tesfaye Kassa  1 , Nuru Mohamed Ahmed  2 , Mohamed Abdirahman Shukri  1 , Fatumo Mohamed Abdikadir  1
Affiliations

A Rare Case of Dextrocardia With Atrioventricular Septal Defect and Situs Inversus in an 8-Month-Old Infant Complicated by Severe Acute Malnutrition

Michael Tesfaye Kassa et al. Clin Case Rep. .

Abstract

The key clinical message in this case report highlights the rare coexistence of situs inversus totalis, dextrocardia, atrioventricular septal defect, and severe acute malnutrition in an Ethiopian infant. It underscores the need for heightened awareness, timely diagnosis, and integrated management strategies for such complex congenital and nutritional disorders and emphasizes the need for early surgical referral in resource-limited settings, as delayed intervention worsens outcomes.

Keywords: Ethiopia; atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD); congenital heart disease (CHD); dextrocardia; pediatric cardiology; severe acute malnutrition (SAM); situs inversus totalis (SIT).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Chest X‐ray showing dextrocardia with cardiomegaly and situs inversus. Most of the heart and apex are predominantly situated in the right chest cavity, resulting in a cardiothoracic ratio of 0.63. Additionally, gastric air bubbles are seen on the right side of the abdomen.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Echocardiography showing 1.5‐cm‐wide open atrioventricular septal defect involving both mitral and tricuspid valves (white arrow) insertion which shows large atrioventricular septal defect with dextrocardia and situs inversus.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Echocardiography on subcostal view of color Doppler imaging showing a direct mixing of blood on both mitral and tricuspid valves (indicated by a white arrow), along with a 1.5‐cm‐wide open atrioventricular septal defect.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
An abdominal ultrasound of the left upper quadrant reveals the liver on the left side, as opposed to its typical anatomical location.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
A right‐sided spleen is shown in an ultrasonography image of the right side of the abdomen as opposed to its typical anatomical location.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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