Definition:
Dextrocardia or Dextrocadia Situs Inversus is a medical term use to describe the location of the heart which is in the right chest instead being normally at the left side. Patients with this condition may grow and develop normally and live an equally normal life if there are no complications brought about by the heart's position. Limitations only come from other defects of the heart, lungs or chest. If there are no defects in the heart, this condition doesn't require surgery or any medication.
Diagnosis:
Patients who develop Dextrocardia are often diagnosed even during fetal development through ultrasound images.
Treatment:
Treatment of the disease itself is often supportive and symptomatic only as most people who carry the disease lead a normal life and are not at threat. In some cases where a patient manifest serious heart malformations, treatments always vary depending on the malformation. Families who have history of this genetic disorder are also advised to take counseling to help them cope with the disease. Although, genetic alterations are now on progress still it is not a proven effective way of treatment.
Symptoms and Signs:
Although people in this condition don't have any medical problems, some still suffer a number of bowel problems, cardiac, oesophagus and bronchial problems. In some but very rare cases, cilia or the minute hair-like structures in the lungs and nose moves in the opposite direction causing the person to be susceptible to colds.
Causes:
The cause of this disease is believed to be genetic and are hereditary. Other list of causes of this disease are Situs inversus viscerum, Marden-walker syndrome, Kartagener's syndrome, and Cumming syndrome.
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