Anatomical Variant or Pathological Anomaly? A Case Report of an Asymptomatic Cardiac Apical Cleft
Abstract
Background: Congenital cardiac malformations are the most common birth defects, with a global prevalence of approximately 8 per 1000 live births. While most are symptomatic, a small subset of structural variants can remain clinically silent. We report a rare case of a deep apical cleft, an incidental and benign post-mortem finding that must be differentiated from clinically significant pathologies such as left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy, ventricular diverticula, or aneurysms.
Case presentation: During an autopsy of a 38-year-old African male, deceased from a road traffic accident, a deep, V-shaped cleft was discovered at the anterior cardiac apex, measuring 4.2 cm in length and 1.5 cm in depth. The heart was otherwise grossly normal, with no evidence of hypertrophy, septal defects, or vascular anomalies. The patient had no prior history of cardiac symptoms.
Conclusion: The isolated cardiac apical cleft in this asymptomatic adult is a rare anatomical variant, likely a benign developmental anomaly. This case highlights the critical importance of meticulous post-mortem examination and anatomical knowledge to distinguish between a harmless congenital variant and a pathological condition, serving as a valuable educational case for forensic pathologists and cardiac specialists.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- eggNOG 5.0: a hierarchical, functionally and phylogenetically annotated orthology resource based on 5090 organisms and 2502 viruses
- Online Survival Analysis Software to Assess the Prognostic Value of Biomarkers Using Transcriptomic Data in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- OptiType: precision HLA typing from next-generation sequencing data
- Nicotinic Cholinergic System and COVID-19: In Silico Identification of an Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and Nicotinic Receptors with Potential Therapeutic Targeting Implications
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells have three Omega class glutathione S-transferases acting as 1-Cys thiol transferases
- Hemolysis at low blood flow rates: in-vitro and in-silico evaluation of a centrifugal blood pump
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.