Elderly woman lived with organs in opposite places of her body

Rose Marie Bentley lived a full life up to the age of 99 with a rare condition.

Other than her heart, all her other organs were in different places than where they should have been.

It’s so rare in fact, that it mostly occurs once in every 22,000 births. However, those previously documented with the condition, did not surpass the age of seventy-three.

“People with the condition known as situs inversus with levocardia often have life-threatening cardiac ailments and other abnormalities, according to Oregon Health & Science University.”

Bentley had three organ removal surgeries within her life. Yet only one surgeon had documented that her appendix was in a different place.

Louise Allee is the daughter of Rose. She expressed her surprise that Bentley’s doctors hadn’t mentioned the off details.

Consequently, a learning experience is being gained from Rose’s body being donated to Oregon Health and Science University.

Cameron Walker is an OHSU assistant professor of anatomy. In short, he commented: “This is an important case that really gave us an opportunity to talk about the importance of future clinicians paying attention to subtle anatomic variations, not just large anatomic variations, in terms of addressing their future patients as individuals.”