Situs Inversus is a unique genetic condition that occurs when the organs of the chest and abdomen form and are positioned in the exact mirror image of where they are supposed to be. This causes the left atrium of the heart, for example, to be on the body’s right side. The liver is positioned on the left and the stomach is placed on the right. It can occur in two different ways, called dextrocardia and levocardia. The difference is that dextrocardia has the point of the heart on the right side with the organs flipped, while levocardia does not have the heart flipped.
Statistics About Situs Inversus
1. Up to 5% of people with Situs Inversus have a functional heart defect, which is up to five times greater than the general population rate.
2. The amount of births that occur with Situs Inversus that have the underlying condition of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia [PCD]: 1 in 4.
3. In the United States, the chances of having a child born with Situs Inversus is just 1 in 10,000.
4. Between 1910 and 1947, out of over 1.5 million people who were examined at the Mayo Clinic, 76 of them had some form of Situs Inversus.
5. 4 out of 5 people who have Situs Inversus also have a right-sided aortic arch.
6. The percentage of people who have cogenital heart disease with Situs Inversus: up to 10%.
7. When levocardia is present, the incidence of congenital heart disease climbs to 95%.
8. The dextrocardia version of Situs Inversus was first seen and documented by Leonardo da Vinci, but wasn’t recognized until 1643.
9. Levocardia occurs in only 1 in 22,000 births.
10. When PCD is present in embryos, the chances of Situs Inversus happening are 1 in 2.
11. 20% of people who are born with Situs Inversus have Kartagener Syndrome, but 50% of those with the syndrome have Situs Inversus.
12. Life expectancy rates with Situs Inversus are similar to that of the general population.
13. When marriages occur between people who are descended from the same direct ancestor, the incident rates of Situs Inversus tend to trend higher.
14. COPD rates and other breathing issues, including asthma, are slightly higher in cases of Situs Inversus than with the general population.
15. People with Situs Inversus have a higher than average risk to develop bronchiectasis, pneumonia, conductive deafness, and communicating hydrocephalus.
There is a third version of Situs Inversus that sometimes occurs, but it is often called Situs Ambiguous instead. This is because there are several organs that are displaced from their regular location in the body, but the distribution is randomized instead of clearly defined. Some doctors do not consider this to be a case of Situs Inversus because there is no inversion. Instead of having the right lung on the left, the ambiguous version might provide two right lungs instead.
It is believed that many factors are involved in the development of Situs Inversus, but the cause doesn’t have a definite reason behind it. There are some believed causes, however, and they begin at the early stages of the normal development of an embryo. When the tube structures that become the heart begin to form, a loop forms toward the left and this identifies the left and right axis that is the foundation of organ development.
It is also believed that there is at least one gene that helps to contribute to the formation of Situs Inversus. That is because it is known to run in families, although it is just as likely to happen in an isolated fashion as it is to occur in families that have a history of it. Although organ issues, especially cardiac functions, can be disrupted in children born with this condition, it is also possible for children to have no complications at all.
Living with Situs Inversus
It is very possible to have Situs Inversus and live a very normal, fulfilling life. Writers, actresses, and professional athletes have all been diagnosed with this condition and have not had any complications to note.
The most important aspect of living with Situs Inversus is to let medical professionals know that this condition exists. Because it is so rare, doctors simply assume that the human body they are examining has been created correctly. If Situs Inversus is present and this assumption is made, then a misdiagnosis is likely to occur. A special emphasis is often placed on patients that have this condition through the labeling of diagnostic images to make sure that there are fewer mistakes made by an attending physician.
The goal of living with Situs Inversus is to simply treat the symptoms as they occur. The most common issues are the development of sinus infections and other items that can be treated with basic antibiotics. Surgery is rarely an option for people with this condition because there is often no way to correct the situation. It is an instance where two wrongs really do end up making a right.
In rare cases, it has become necessary for heart and/or lung transplantation to occur in severe cases where the associated conditions of Situs Inversus made it nearly impossible for survival to occur. This has happened with some success, but is recommended in only the most severe of conditions when other forms of surgery to correct breathing problems have been attempted over time.
Situs Inversus really is just one of those quirks of nature that sometimes happen. Although there are health risks associated with the condition, many people end up living healthy, fulfilling lives that are just like anyone in the general population. The one place of awareness with this condition is that congenital heart abnormalities which may develop because of the condition can be very complex. By taking a careful approach and verifying that there is a mirrored approach to organ development instead of an ambiguous one, life can simply move on with Situs Inversus.