Partial or complete displacement of the heart outside the thorax is known as which condition?

Partial or complete displacement of the heart outside the thorax is known as which condition?

• A. Ectopia cordis
• B. Pectus excavatum
• C. Cardiomegaly
• D. Transposition of the great arteries

Answer: (A)

Ectopia cordis is the condition described when the heart is partially or completely displaced outside the thoracic cavity. This rare congenital anomaly can involve a portion of the heart protruding through a chest wall defect or the heart lying entirely outside the chest. It’s distinct from pectus excavatum, which is a sunken sternum without the heart exiting the chest; cardiomegaly, where the heart is enlarged but remains within the chest; and transposition of the great arteries, a vascular arrangement defect where the great vessels are mispositioned rather than the heart’s location. In ultrasound, you would look for the heart’s abnormal position relative to the chest wall to confirm ectopia cordis.

Ectopia cordis is the condition described when the heart is partially or completely displaced outside the thoracic cavity. This rare congenital anomaly can involve a portion of the heart protruding through a chest wall defect or the heart lying entirely outside the chest. It’s distinct from pectus excavatum, which is a sunken sternum without the heart exiting the chest; cardiomegaly, where the heart is enlarged but remains within the chest; and transposition of the great arteries, a vascular arrangement defect where the great vessels are mispositioned rather than the heart’s location. In ultrasound, you would look for the heart’s abnormal position relative to the chest wall to confirm ectopia cordis.