Dextrocardia with Situs Inversus in an 18-Year-Old Nigerian Female: The Computed Tomographic Findings and a Case Report

Dextrocardia is a cardiac positional anomaly in which the heart is located in the right hemithorax with its base to apex axis directed to the right and caudad. The malposition is intrinsic to the heart and not caused by extracardiac abnormalities. Dextrocardia is a rare condition and usually found incidentally and in association with other congenital abnormalities. It has an incidence of less than 1%. This is an 18 year old Nigerian female who was referred for computed tomography (CT) of the chest on account of prolonged and recurrent cough with a suspicion of diffuse interstitial lung disease. The chest and upper abdominal CT scan showed dextrocardia with a right placed heart, displaced spleen and stomach to the right hemi-abdomen and liver displaced to the left hemi-abdomen; confirming the diagnosis of dextrocardia with situs inversus. We present this case of dextrocardia with abdominal situs inversus due to its rarity in literature.

Acute abdomen due to an infarction of wandering spleen: case report

Wandering spleen is a rare condition characterized by the absence or underdevelopment of one or all spleen ligaments that fixate the spleen in the left upper quadrant. Many different terms refer to wandering spleen like dislocated spleen, ectopic spleen and displaced spleen. We report in this case a 13-year-old Syrian girl presented to the emergency department complaining of acute generalized abdominal pain with fever, anorexia and vomiting started 2 days prior to presentation. A splenectomy was performed, with uneventful postsurgical follow-up. Wandering spleen is prone to torsion and infarction resulting in acute abdomen and a life-threatening condition with high mortality rate reaching 50%. We advise the investigation of any recurrent episodes of chronic pain keeping up within mind this diagnosis.

Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus in Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)

Gastric dilatation and volvulus is a life-threatening condition characterized by rapid accumulation of food and gases that cause displacement and distension of the stomach. The large and giant, deep-chested breeds of dogs are at higher risk for developing the gastric dilatation and volvulus. Uncommonly, it can also develop in cats, but it is also described in free-range polar bears. A case of gastric dilatation and volvulus in a brown bear (Ursus arctos) is described in this paper. This case was characterized by lack of any previous symptoms, sudden death, as well as macroscopic findings during necropsy - twisted distended stomach, congested displaced spleen and necrotic gastric wall. According to the available data this is the first described case report of the gastric dilatation and volvulus in brown bear (Ursus arctos).