International Journal of Academic Health and Medical Research (IJAHMR)   Year: 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 4 | Page No.: 86-89 Heterotaxy and tumor of the rectum - operative difficulty (a case report) Download PDF Setti Chaimae, Diallo Mamadou, Ousadden Abdelmalek, Khaled Ait Taleb, El Bachir Benjelloun, Ouadii Mouaqit, Elbouhahadouti Hicham, Bouassria Abdeslam, Marghich Omar. Abstract: Heterotaxy ( From Grec '' heteros '' meaning different, and '' taxos''meaning positioning), or lateralization defect are two terms used to designate any anomaly in the positioning of one or more thoraco-abdominal organs along the right/left axis . The association of rectal cancer and situs ambiguous is particularly rare. We report the case of a 59 year old female patient with no previous clinical history, suffering from a rectal adenocarcinoma whose CT scan ( initially performed for the extension evaluation) showed the situs ambiguous : with a median ectopic spleen under the liver, a short pancreas and a horseshoe-shaped kidney. Candidate for surgical treatment, our concern was to plan her surgical procedure given the difficult anatomical conditions exposing to more intraoperative risks related to the possible anatomical and vascular abnormalities in this patient.