Blunt Trauma Abdomen with Splenic Injury in a Patient with Situs Inversus: A Case Report

Situs inversus is a rare condition characterized by the mirror-image reversal of the anatomical arrangement ofvisceral organs. It may be associated with dextrocardia (totalis) or levocardia (incomplete) and is inherited in anautosomal recessive manner. This condition can be linked to congenital heart diseases, ciliary dysfunction, andcomplications related to anaesthesia. Splenic injury in a patient with situs inversus following blunt abdominaltrauma is extremely rare. In cases of high-grade injuries, an emergency splenectomy is typically required,although Transcatheter arterial embolization may be attempted in paediatric patients if extravasation isobserved. Prophylactic appendectomy may also be considered in such cases. Due to the rarity of this condition,limited information is available regarding postoperative complications, as only a few case reports have beendocumented. This case report presents a 30-year-old female who was admitted to the emergency departmentwith a history of blunt abdominal trauma, hypotension, and vomiting. A contrast-enhanced CT scan of theabdomen revealed situs inversus totalis with a grade 3 splenic injury, for which an exploratory laparotomy andemergency splenectomy were performed. This is an exceptionally rare case, with fewer than five similar casesreported in the literature to date. Given the potential for postoperative complications related to ciliarydysfunction, anaesthesia, and congenital heart defects, a thorough preoperative evaluation is essential tominimize the risk of such complications.