Disorder - Situs inversus

Organ Systems Involved
Systemic

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Kartagener syndrome; Immotile cilia syndrome

Alternative Names
Situs inversus visceralis; Situs inversus totalis; Partial situs inversus

Presenting Signs

Situs inversus is an inherited condition in which the position of the internal organs is the mirror image of normal. For example, the heart, which normally lies towards the left hand side of the chest cavity, lies to the right in a cat with situs inversus. The condition is considered complete if all the organ positions, in both the chest and abdominal cavity, are reversed. Partial situs inversus occurs if organs in only one of the cavities are reversed, i.e. only the organs in the chest or only the organs in the abdominal cavity.

Many affected animals will display no clinical signs of the disease. Often they will go unnoticed until the vet discovers it incidentally. Others, however, may present with a nasal discharge from both nostrils and chronic respiratory disease (due to the related condition of primary ciliary dyskinesia). Heart malformations have also been associated with the disease, and affected cats could be intolerant of exercise, and have episodes of fainting and general tiredness. Finally, affected cats could be lethargic, dome headed and have visual defects and difficulty moving around (from the brain condition hydrocephalus).

Only one cat has been documented to have situs inversus and this cat did not have any of the clinical signs mentioned above.

Treatment

None for the primary condition. Surgical treatment possible for secondary conditions e.g. heart defects

PubMed References
Situs inversus

Contributor
Josie Gollan