Hollywood icon Catherine O’Hara died Friday at 71 after being rushed to an LA hospital in “serious” condition.
Paramedics were called to the “Schitt’s Creek” star’s home and transported her to a nearby hospital, where she later died, Page Six reported. Her agency said she passed away “following a brief illness,” but an official cause of death hasn’t been announced.
One thing that is certain: O’Hara lived with a rare condition called dextrocardia with situs inversus.
It’s not clear whether this diagnosis played a role in her death, but here’s everything you need to know about the condition.
What is dextrocardia with situs inversus?
It’s a rare birth defect in which the organs in the chest and abdomen are positioned as a mirror image of normal anatomy, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
For example, the spleen may sit on the right instead of the left, or the liver may be on the left instead of the right.
O’Hara didn’t discover she had the congenital anomaly until adulthood.
The “Home Alone” actress and her husband, Bo Welch, had been getting tested for tuberculosis as part of a requirement for their son to attend nursing school, when the doctor asked her to undergo standard exams like an EKG and chest X-ray while she was at his office, she said in a 2021 interview.
“When the doctor told us that my heart was on the right side and my organs were flipped, my husband immediately said, ‘No, her head’s on backwards,’” O’Hara recalled with a laugh.
How common is it?
The condition affects about 1 in every 10,000 people and is more common in men.
Enrique Iglesias, 50, and Donny Osmond, 68, also live with the condition.
What causes it?
Doctors aren’t completely sure, but it has been linked to genetic mutations.
It’s inherited through an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning both parents must pass on the mutated gene for a child to be born with the condition.
What are the symptoms?
Many people have no symptoms, since the organs are simply reversed but still functioning. That helps explain why O’Hara didn’t discover it earlier in life.
However, the mirrored layout can make future medical issues harder to diagnose because symptoms may appear in unexpected places.
In some cases, dextrocardia with situs inversus is associated with other conditions or birth defects, which can cause symptoms such as breathing problems, fatigue, frequent sinus or lung infections, jaundice and pale or bluish skin due to low oxygen, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
It is not known whether the “Beetlejuice” star had any related conditions.
Does it require treatment?
Not usually, since doctors don’t usually attempt to “reverse” the organs.
But if complications arise from another condition, those would be treated. That can include antibiotics for infections or medications to support heart and lung function.
What is the life expectancy?
Most people with the condition can expect a normal lifespan, and many never know they have it.
But if it is linked to other health issues, the outlook depends on the specific diagnosis and treatment.
It remains unclear whether the condition was connected to O’Hara’s death.
She is survived by Welch, her husband of 33 years, and their two sons, Matthew, 31, and Luke, 29.