Coronary artery bypass grafts in a patient with isolated cardiac dextroversion.

ABSTRACT

Despite several controversies, the term "dextrocardia" usually defines a rare type of intrinsic cardiac abnormality due to a rotation disorder and resulting in a right-sided direction of the cardiac axis. According to the majority of experts, the extent of a dextrocardia associated with a situs solitus is termed "dextroversion". In such a rare condition, therefore, the relationships between the cardiac chambers and the other structures (that is superior and inferior venae cavae, liver, stomach) are modified whereas in case of dextrocardia with situs inversus, the relationships between the cardiac chambers and neighboring structures are preserved and the classical "mirror image" is shown. In 95% of cases with dextroversion, an associated cardiac abnormality has been described and, therefore, acquired heart diseases in patients with isolated dextroversion are extremely rare. To our knowledge, the present is the first case report describing a coronary artery bypass graft performed in a patient with isolated dextroversion. The technical aspects of the surgical procedure are also discussed.