Situs inversus

Changed by Maulik S Patel, 23 Jul 2014

Updates to Article Attributes

Body was changed:

Show markup changes

Situs inversus, short form of the latin “situs inversus viscerum”, is a term used to describe the inverted position of chest and abdominal organs. It is called situs inversus totalis when there is a total transposition of abdominal and thoracic viscera (mirror image of internal organs normal positioning).

Situs inversus is usually associated with dextrocardia (true mirror image) with only 3-5% incidence of congenital heart disease, most commonly transposition of the great vessels. Of these patients, 80% have a right-sided aortic arch. Situs inversus with levocardia (which is much rarer - 0.00005%) congenital heart disease is found in 95% of patients

Up to 20% of patients with situs inversus can have Kartagener syndrome ³ which comprises a subgroup of primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Radiographic assessment

Imaging features on chest radiograph to be evaluated are:

location of apex of heart
location of aortic arch
location of stomach bubble / liver

Image 3 Ultrasound ( create )

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads

{"current_user":null,"inclusions":[{"imageId":9867869,"studyId":33952,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-13","caption":"Case 1: chest radiograph","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/9867869/4dff1b9cfb424c5cb01fe46bacb69c_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":3368325,"studyId":22974,"caseSlug":"dextrocardia-situs-inversus-1","caption":"Case 2","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/3368325/24f9975846e6369b147b322201a0d1_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":7733465,"studyId":30776,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-11","caption":"Case 3: ultrasound","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/7733465/a7bd06574084a05de524f2ce0db9cd_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":579630,"studyId":12299,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-16","caption":"Case 4: CT","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/579630/95bbad3c84f121f11b4cef021de643fcbdd9cf3a319535e33a616ab52487134d_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":892159,"studyId":13504,"caseSlug":"pulmonary-atresia-with-ventricular-septal-defect-and-situs-inversus-totalis","caption":"Case 5: with concurrent congenital cardiac anomaly","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/892159/bd52f21ba1da1c9c42e8c9485308b7_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":2474012,"studyId":19975,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-and-azygos-lobe-kartagener-syndrome","caption":"Case 6: with Kartagener syndrome","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/2474012/55a047dfa6edc62b117e54449e249d_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":370,"studyId":37429,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-14","caption":"Case 7","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/370/f25c4dcf3e47af20ded0e21c2953d8_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":131159,"studyId":8270,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus","caption":"Case 8","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/131159/29d7f53ad6efa641c43b8261155fa4_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":265287,"studyId":9312,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-with-pneumothorax-1","caption":"Case 9","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/265287/c43f33789e38867c7023383471c84c_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":1345605,"studyId":14822,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis","caption":"Case 11","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/1345605/ecaa805a811ca15d487faee57173d0_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":13204742,"studyId":39013,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-15","caption":"Case 10","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/13204742/76621d1d1028c6251bd5b7b189aa3a_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":1345788,"studyId":14824,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-3","caption":"Case 12","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/1345788/09e73e7fb36526633003059ec3a76b8181c88dd96163a6cc332a1880f0678656_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":1345773,"studyId":14823,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-and-levo-transposition-of-the-great-arteries-with-cardiac-pacemaker","caption":"Case 13","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/1345773/826e38b96f911000660ad39ac051a414da9774543422f7111504608e48cad9b8_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":1657674,"studyId":39145,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-1","caption":"Case 14","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/1657674/a76b652003e1d0cb910eab5ca022ca_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":1890190,"studyId":17217,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-4","caption":" Case 15","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/1890190/0bf3ab347e4fbc1e149be91dcc25ebe0fd2969b2e6dff342639101ac7ca9d003_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":2348996,"studyId":19481,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-6","caption":"Case 16","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/2348996/bea10f129c8406d285e2022dd50935_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":5550751,"studyId":27012,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-3","caption":"Case 17: situs inversus totalis","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/5550751/7cdacfcc385d96f53c40091918bd1b_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":5598224,"studyId":27095,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-9","caption":"Case 18","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/5598224/24c2e4fd7f64f1ce660fc5ecd3a81b_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":11300000,"studyId":35914,"caseSlug":"gallstone-ileus-and-complete-situs-inversus","caption":"Case 19: with gallstone ileus","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/11300000/de21868b365205d84a8848171834ac_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":26914868,"studyId":55174,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-with-left-sided-azygos-fissure","caption":"Case 20: situs inversus totalis with left azygos fissure","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/26914868/f112a86c6a58bf3091002f823c2779_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":37368309,"studyId":66654,"caseSlug":"swallowed-coin-foreign-body-with-situs-inversus","caption":"Case 21: swallowed coin foreign body with situs inversus","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/37368309/77089532b1a28a1d07a3a0bf95101e_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":null},{"imageId":41851216,"studyId":70762,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-13","caption":"Case 22","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/41851216/79fabdab1e2e295ce2a0d0393b9aa7_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":47958560,"studyId":76800,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-15","caption":"Case 23","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/47958560/b7fa430431f258dc250f10ceedae6fd7bdd4e8dffa841d2bd479bf777181bc07_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":54436573,"studyId":103222,"caseSlug":"gastric-cancer-in-a-patient-with-situs-inversus","caption":"Case 23: with gastric cancer","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/54436573/110054_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":55958863,"studyId":111468,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-with-horseshoe-kidney","caption":"Case 24: situs inversus totalis with horseshoe kidney","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/55958863/VR_Con_Full_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":55958514,"studyId":111468,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-with-horseshoe-kidney","caption":"Case 24: situs inversus totalis with horseshoe kidney","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/55958514/Cor_Con__53__big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":55932118,"studyId":111322,"caseSlug":"situs-inversus-totalis-19","caption":"Case 25: in a patient with COVID19 pneumonia","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/55932118/110053_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"},{"imageId":62733249,"studyId":138402,"caseSlug":"incomplete-situs-inversus","caption":"Case 26: incomplete situs inversus","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/62733249/465a86837a4af5540908336746fc4ae12a7548fea524b721b15163bfdf256493_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"}],"ddx_inclusions":[{"imageId":154406,"studyId":8760,"caseSlug":"heterotaxy","caption":"Heterotaxy","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/154406/a78593f0e76adf1b5759d59589ffb4_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"}],"lang":"us"}

Situs inversus

Updates to Article Attributes

Radiographic assessment

See also

Image 3 Ultrasound ( create )