The many faces of the 'orphan' aVR

Among the standard 12 leads of electrocardiogram (ECG), lead aVR is often neglected, as it lacks contiguous leads like other leads in a 12 lead ECG. Hence it might be termed as an 'orphan lead'. In order to underscore the importance of the “orphan” lead aVR, we made an attempt to describe certain salient clinical situations where lead aVR provides vital informations that are useful in diagnosing and prognosticating patients. We have also briefly reviewed the utility of lead aVR in contemporary clinical practice.