If you have isolated dextrocardia, your heart is on the right side of your chest, but you have no other defects. Dextrocardia also occurs in a condition called citrus inverse. With it, most or all of your visceral organs are on the side of your body that reflects the mirror image. For example, in addition to your heart, your liver, spleen, or other organs may also be on the opposite or "wrong" side of your body.
If you have dextrocardia, you may have other heart, organ, or digestive disorders related to your anatomy. Sometimes surgery can correct these problems.
Symptoms of dextrocardia
Isolated dextrocardia usually does not cause any symptoms. This condition is usually diagnosed when an X-ray of your chest or an MRI shows the location of your heart on the right side of your chest.
Some people with isolated dextrocardia are at increased risk for lung and lung infections, sinus infections, or pneumonia. With isolated dextrocardia, the cilia in your lungs may not function normally. Cilia are practically hair, they filter the air you breathe. When the cilia can't filter out all the viruses and germs, you often get sick.
Dextrocardia can cause a variety of symptoms that affect the function of your heart. These include shortness of breath, blue lips and skin, and fatigue. Children with dextrocardia may not grow or develop properly, so heart surgery may be necessary to correct the defect.
The lack of oxygen in your heart makes it tired and it usually stops growing. Abnormalities that affect your liver can cause jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and eyes.
A baby with dextrocardia may also have holes in the septum of the heart. The septum is divided into the left and right chambers of the heart. Septum defects can cause problems with the baby's heart and the way blood flows out. It usually produces a heart murmur.
Babies with dextrocardia can also be born without a spleen. The spleen is an important component of the immune system. Without the spleen, your baby is at risk for infections throughout the body.
Causes
During the first weeks of pregnancy, the baby's heart develops. Sometimes it refers to the right side of the chest instead of the left side. The reasons for this are unclear.
Dextrocardia :There are many types of dextrocardia. Many types have other defects of the heart and abdominal area.
In the simplest type of dextrocardia, the heart has no mirror reflection and other problems for the normal heart. This condition is very rare. When this occurs, the abdominal and lung organs are also often implanted in the mirror image. For example, the liver is on the left side instead of the right.
Some people with mirror-reflected dextrocardia have a problem with fine hairs (cilia) that filter the air that enters the nose and airways. This condition is called Cartagena syndrome.
Among the common types of dextrocardia, there are also other heart defects. The most common are:
- Double outlet right ventricle (connects the aorta to the right ventricle instead of the left ventricle)
- Endocardial cushion defect (poorly formed or absent walls that separate the 4 chambers of the heart)
- Pulmonary stenosis (narrowing of the pulmonary valve) or atresia (pulmonary valve that does not form correctly)
- Single ventricle (instead of two ventricles, there is only one ventricle)
- Large vascular transfer (the aorta and pulmonary artery are switched)
- Ventricular septal defect (hole in the wall that separates the right and left ventricles of the heart)
The abdominal and thoracic organs may be abnormal and may not function properly in children with dextrocardia. The most serious syndrome seen with dextrocardia is called hypertoxicity. In this condition, most of the organs are not in their normal places and may not work properly. For example, the spleen may not be fully visible. The spleen is an important part of the immune system, so babies born without this organ are more prone to serious bacterial infections and death. In another form of hypertoxicity, there are many small spleens, but they may not function properly.
Hypertoxicity can also include:
- Abnormal gallbladder system
- Problems with the lungs
- Problems with the structure or position of the intestine
- Serious heart defects
- Vascular abnormalities
- Possible risk factors for dextrocardia include a family history of the disease.
Diagnosis
Most cases of dextrocardia are diagnosed by an electrocardiogram (EKG) and a chest X-ray.
ECG showing transverse or transverse electric waves generally refers to dextrocardia.
Once a doctor suspects dextrocardia, they may use a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to diagnose the condition.
Related conditions
Dextrocardia can be diagnosed using scanning and imaging technology, such as computed tomography.
Dextrocardia may or may not be related to other conditions. Critical conditions:
Cartagener syndrome
Cartagener syndrome is a hereditary condition of primary ciliary dyskinesia, along with reversal of dextrocardia cytosis, where the cilia that help prevent mucus from moving become constant.
About 20% of people with dextrocardia also have Cartagener syndrome.
Dextroversion
Dextroversion occurs when the heart is abnormally positioned to the right and turned to the right. The right ventricle generally moves back to the left, but the left ventricle remains to the left. This problem can be diagnosed using an electrocardiograph (ECG).
Dextroposition
Dextroposition occurs when the heart shifts or moves to the right. Unlike dextrocardia, other organs do not reflect.
This condition is usually associated with acquired diseases of the lungs, diaphragm, or pleura (the membrane that surrounds the lungs).
Surgery and muscle damage or deformities can also contribute to the development of dextroposition.
Doctors often use the ECG test to differentiate between dextroposition and dextrocardia. [KG3]
Large vascular transfer (TGA)
TGA occurs when the major vessels of the heart are connected backwards due to reversal of the heart's chambers. This condition is very rare.
Corrected transfer with birth of the great artery (CCTGA)
This condition occurs when the lower half of the heart is inverted, especially the lower ventricles and the connected valves.
This condition is much rarer than TGA and the cause is not yet known. According to the Adult Congenital Heart Association, 0.5 to 1 percent of babies born with heart problems have CCTGA.
Tricuspid atresia
This condition is a congenital defect in which the tricuspid valve does not develop. The tricuspid valve prevents blood from returning to the right atrium from the right ventricle.
Single, double or double inlet ventricles
These cases usually occur when the aorta, which carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body, and the pulmonary artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs are connected in it (left or right). Ventricle.
Pulmonary stenosis or atresia
This occurs when the pulmonary (pulmonary) valve of the heart fails to make the heart narrow (stenosis) or develop (atresia).
Hypertoxicity
Heterotoxicity occurs when reflective internal organs do not develop or function properly. Depending on the organs affected and the severity of the case, hypertoxicity can be fatal.
Endocardial cushion defect
It is a congenital heart defect in which the tissues that separate the chambers of the heart do not develop and interfere with blood flow. This condition is also known as atrioventricular canal defect.
Treatment of dextrocardia
Dextrocardia must be treated if it prevents vital organs from working properly. Surgery to correct pacemakers and septal defects can help the heart work normally.
If you have dextrocardia, you may have more infections than the average person. Medicines reduce your risk of infection. If you don't have a spleen or it doesn't work properly, your cardiologist may prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection. You may need to take long-term antibiotics to fight respiratory illnesses.
Obstacles in your digestive system are more likely if your heart is pointing to the right. Dextrocardia can sometimes cause a condition called intestinal malrotation, in which your intestine does not develop properly. This is why your doctor will look for an abdominal obstruction, also known as a bowel or bowel obstruction. A barrier prevents waste from leaving your body.
Bowel obstruction is dangerous and, if left untreated, can be fatal. You may need surgery to correct any obstruction.
