pubmed-article:10620741 | pubmed:abstractText | Ectopia cordis, defined as complete or partial displacement of the heart outside the thoracic cavity, is rare. The cause and pathogenesis are unknown. The anatomy of the heart may be normal, but the presence of structural heart disease as well as noncardiac malformations is common. Patients present incidentally after birth or, more recently, the condition has been diagnosed by prenatal echocardiography. | lld:pubmed |