A case report of congenital scoliosis associated with situs inversus totalis

RATIONALE Situs inversus totalis is a rare anomaly disease in which the organs in the chest and abdomen are positioned in a mirror image reversal of normal positions. Although this has been confirmed to be associated with spinal abnormalities, reports about situs inversus totalis with congenital scoliosis remain limited. PATIENT CONCERNS We present a 9-year-old girl having congenital scoliosis associated with situs inversus totalis. DIAGNOSES She also had other associated anomalies: ventricular septal defect, mild restrictive ventilatory dysfunction, hydronephrosis, and syringomyelia. Her preoperative Cobb angle (T11-L3) was 78°. INTERVENTIONS She received single growing rods treatment and subsequent posterior spinal fusion correction surgery for her scoliosis. OUTCOMES The coronal Cobb angle of the main curve was corrected to 20° postoperatively and no obvious loss of spinal corrective angle was identified 1 year after the correction surgery. LESSONS Growing rods technique could be a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of scoliosis associated with situs inversus totalis. In the correction of left-sided lumbar curve of this kind of patients, the risks of aorta impingements should not be neglected when placing pedicle screws on the concave sides.