Situs inversus totalis is a rare anatomic anomaly in which the normal arrangement of the heart and viscera is reversed to form a mirror picture of their usual anatomic position. It typically poses a diagnostic dilemma during the initial assessment acute thoracoabdominal trauma.
A case is presented of the findings found on the focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) examination of a young adult with situs inversus who sustained solid organ injury from blunt trauma.
Patients with situs inversus can be a challenge to physicians both diagnostically and therapeutically as these patients may have nontraditional signs and symptoms upon presentation. Expedient diagnosis of solid organ injury in these patients is important, since treatment may be affected according to which organ is injured.