situs Inversus – Macroscopic work-up and analysis of Cerebral lateralization Using Manual and Imaging Techniques

Within the last decade three body donors with previously diagnosed situs inversus (SI) were admitted to the institute of anatomy. Herein, we will present one of these cases regarding its past medical history and findings after dissection of thoracic and abdominal organs. In order to obtain further information concerning its cerebral lateralization, manual measurements on skull and brain structures as well as on post mortem cranial computer tomograms (cCT) and 3T-MRI were performed. Osseous, vascular, parenchymal structures and hemispheric volumes were compared intra individually between left and right hemispheres, or with data gained from ten control donors with situs solitus (SS). Only hemispheric petalia suggested a distinct reversed lateralization. This study adds further data to the existing record on this rare anatomical variant for research and teaching purposes. Neuroimaging techniques such as MRI and cCT proved superior to manual techniques without revealing definite signs of cerebral lateralization.