Dextrocardia overview


 * Associate Editors-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S. mailto:psingh@perfuse.org; ; Keri Shafer, M.D. [mailto:kshafer@bidmc.harvard.edu]; Claudia Hochberg, M.D.; Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org

Overview
Dextrocardia refers to the heart being situated on the right side of the body. If all visceral organs are mirror reversed, the correct term is Dextrocardia Situs Inversus Totalis. Individuals with both dextrocardia and situs inversus have a lower incidence of congenital heart defects than do people with only one of the two conditions.

Dextorocardia was decribed by Fabricious in 1606. Situs inversus with dextrocardia (totalis) was first described by Severinus in 1643.