Aim: The aim of this study was to report a
case of dextrocardia with Situs inversus totalis.
Case History and Observation: A
nine-year-old male Cocker Spaniels dog was
referred for cardiologic evaluation due to
non-productive cough. Thoracic radiography and
ultrasound examination showed the reversed
position not only of the heart but also of the
abdominal organs such as liver and gallbladder,
stomach, spleen, aorta and caudal vena cava.
Except dextrocardia itself, the echocardiogram was
normal. On the electrocardiogram the P-QRST waves
were inverted in lead D1. On the base of these
results, the case was diagnosed as dextrocardia
and Situs inversus totalis.
Discussion:
Dextrocardia and Situs inversus (DSI) is a rare
congenital anomaly characterized by mirror-image
of the normal anatomic arrangement of all internal
organs. In dogs, the majority of reported cases
were associated with Kartagener's syndrome (KS),
but our patient had no evidences of this cilliary
disorder.. Besides radiography and ultrasound
examination, the ECG can be of great value to
diagnose DSI as demonstrated in this report.
Keywords: Cardiac malposition, Congenital
anomaly, Dog, Dextrocardia, Situs inversus
totalis.
