Situs inversus with dextrocardia in a mummy case

• DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2013.07.002
• Publication Date: 2013-08-30T00:30:14Z
• Authors: Alberto Zanatta; Fabio Zampieri; Maurizio Rippa Bo...; Carla Frescura; Giuliano Scattolin; Roberto Stramare; Gaetano Thiene
• Keywords: Dextrocardia

A mummy of a young woman, who died due to tuberculous peritonitis and salpingitis, is conserved in the Pathological Anatomy Museum of the University of Padua. It was found at autopsy to have situs inversus of viscera with dextrocardia, apparently in the absence of other congenital defects. A 64-section scanner computed tomography (CT) on the specimen was carried out to investigate the internal condition of organs. The CT revealed the presence in the heart of a muscular ventricular septal defect and of calcific deposits on visceral pericardium and aortic wall, in keeping with sequelae of previous tuberculous pericarditis.