Dextrocardia as an uncommon cause of inferior ST-segment elevation

A 36-year-old woman with surgically repaired transposition of the great vessels was admitted with psychiatric symptoms. The 12-lead ECG showed ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads, a positive P wave in aVR, and an absent R wave progression in the precordial leads. The findings were attributed to atrial repolarization (Ta) waves in the setting of dextrocardia and low atrial rhythm, causing ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads. No cardiac symptoms were present, and additional tests ruled out ischemia. Atrial repolarization waves are typically imperceptible on ECG but can become evident in certain conditions, such as low atrial rhythm. This case represents a rare coexistence of dextrocardia and ST-segment elevation due to an inverted atrial repolarization wavefront in the setting of low atrial rhythm. Recognizing this pattern is essential to prevent misdiagnosis and avoid unnecessary procedures.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Archive of Clinical Cases
Published
2025-04-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.22551/2025.47.1202.10314
Primary Topic
Cardiac Arrhythmias and Treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Dextrocardia as an uncommon cause of inferior ST-segment elevation

Pablo Zulet Fraile, Ravi Vazirani, E Garcia-Bello
Archive of Clinical Cases
Cardiac Arrhythmias and Treatments
article

Dextrocardia as an uncommon cause of inferior ST-segment elevation

Pablo Zulet Fraile, Ravi Vazirani, E Garcia-Bello
article en

Abstract

A 36-year-old woman with surgically repaired transposition of the great vessels was admitted with psychiatric symptoms. The 12-lead ECG showed ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads, a positive P wave in aVR, and an absent R wave progression in the precordial leads. The findings were attributed to atrial repolarization (Ta) waves in the setting of dextrocardia and low atrial rhythm, causing ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads. No cardiac symptoms were present, and additional tests ruled out ischemia. Atrial repolarization waves are typically imperceptible on ECG but can become evident in certain conditions, such as low atrial rhythm. This case represents a rare coexistence of dextrocardia and ST-segment elevation due to an inverted atrial repolarization wavefront in the setting of low atrial rhythm. Recognizing this pattern is essential to prevent misdiagnosis and avoid unnecessary procedures.

Archive of Clinical CasesVol. 12(2)
Hospital Clínico San Carlos (ES)
Fundación Interhospitalaria para la Investigación Cardiovascular
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 79%
Cardiac Arrhythmias and Treatments
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.