Ectopia cordis or ectopic heart is a congenital malformation in which the heart is abnormally located either partially or totally outside of the thorax. The ectopic heart can be found along a spectrum of anatomical locations, including the neck, chest, or abdomen.
#Diagnosis
Ectopia cordis is usually identified and diagnosed during routine ultrasound scans. “Ectopia” means an abnormal position of an organ and “cordis” is a Latin word for heart. So, ectopia cordisoccurs when the heart is not in the right place in the body.
#Treatment
To treat ectopia cordis itself, the main goal of surgery is to close the open chest wall. The surgeon and health care team will also place the heart within the thorax and repair any other cardiac defects. Whether or not these surgeries can happen depends on the kind ofectopia cordis
