Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ectopic
Introduction
Overview
In medicine an ectopia is a displacement or malposition of an organ of the body. Most ectopias are congenital but some may happen later in life.
- Ectopia lentis is the displacement of the crystalline lens of the eye
- Ectopia cordis is the displacement of the heart outside the body during fetal development
- Renal ectopia occurs when both kidneys occur on the same side of the body
- Ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants anywhere other than the uterine wall
- Cardiac ectopy occurs when electrical signals for a heartbeat originate in the wrong part of the heart muscle.
In molecular biology a gene is ectopically expressed when it is expressed in an abnormal place.