noun
- The abnormal location or displacement of an organ or body part from its normal position.
Usage: Medical/anatomical term; Often used in medical contexts with specific organ names (e.g., ectopia cordis, ectopia lentis)
Examples
- The patient was diagnosed with cardiac ectopia, a rare condition in which the heart is located outside the chest cavity.
- Ectopia of the lens can occur as a congenital condition or develop later in life.
- The radiologist identified ectopia of the kidney during the imaging study.
- Thyroid ectopia refers to thyroid tissue found in an abnormal location along the midline of the neck.
- Some cases of ectopia are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally during routine examinations.