A Twist of Fate: Situs Inversus Totalis with Dextrocardia

• Published in: The American journal of medicine Vol. 128; no. 5; pp. 477 - 479
• Main Authors: Saad, Marwan, MD, PhD, Ford, Deon O., MD, Goddard, Kara K., MD, Abuzaid, Ahmed, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-05-2015; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Aged; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Clinical outcomes; Dextrocardia - diagnosis; Dextrocardia - drug therapy; Electrocardiography; Fibrinolytic Agents - therapeutic use; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical treatment; Situs Inversus - diagnosis; Tissue Plasminogen Activator - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0002-9343; 1555-7162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.01.024

Ostensible signs of a technical error proved to be indications of a congenital anomaly. An extra step in the cardiac examination could have identified the difference. This was evident when an obese 68-year-old African American man presented to our emergency department at Trinitas Regional Medical Center with acute left-sided weakness and left facial droop that started 1 hour before presentation. The patient denied headaches, dizziness, or chest pain. Although the patient had no cardiac history, he had been diagnosed with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus 9 years earlier. His family history was not significant. He was a 30 pack-year smoker, but he did not use alcohol or recreational drugs. Here, Saad et al present their assessment, diagnosis, and management of the patient.