Marfan Syndrome Symptoms

The Marfan syndrome is a connective tissue disorder that affects the fibers that form the framework and support the body. Marfan syndrome can affect many different parts of the body like the heart, blood vessels, eyes, skeleton, etc. The level of damage to the organs depends upon the severity of the condition. In many severe cases, the disease may become a life-threatening condition.

It is said that Marfan syndrome occurs in one person per 5000 people. People suffering from Marfan syndrome have a tall and thin body frame. They have disproportionately long arms, legs, fingers and toes. The following paragraph will cover all the related Marfan syndrome symptoms.

Symptoms of Marfan Syndrome
As mentioned above, Marfan syndrome can affect many parts in the body. The Marfan syndrome symptoms may appear to be mild in some cases and severe in some others. At least one in ten people suffering from Marfan syndrome suffer from very severe symptoms. Let us look at the different Marfan syndrome symptoms affecting the various body parts.

Heart and Blood Vessels
The Marfan syndrome symptoms in case of heart and blood vessels can prove to be fatal. The heart and blood vessels may get affected by the condition through the aortic aneurysm. The walls of the aorta are weak in Marfan syndrome and in some cases the aorta may get enlarged and bulge out. The aorta may tear and rupture in severe cases. This leads to internal bleeding and even death.

Eyes
People with Marfan syndrome suffer from many eye problems. They may suffer from myopia (short sightedness), lens dislocation, glaucoma, cataracts, detachment of the retina, etc. Thus, there are innumerable eye problems as symptoms from those with the Marfan syndrome.

Dural Ectasia
The membrane covering the brain and spinal cord is called the dura. In case of dura ectasia, the membrane becomes weak and expands outwards. The risk of developing dura ectasia is really high in people with Marfan syndrome. The expanding membrane presses the vertebrae in the lower back. This results in back pain, headache and numbness in the legs.

Spondylolisthesis
This condition is characterized by one vertebra slipping forward over another vertebra. This condition usually occurs in the lower back that causes lower back pain and stiffness. Spondylolisthesis is a common problem, although, people with Marfan syndrome are more prone to develop it.

Scoliosis
The spine gets curved due to Marfan syndrome. The curved spine leads to chronic backache and difficulty in breathing. The spine presses against the heart and lungs leading to shortness in breathing.

Skeleton
The skeletal system develops most of the Marfan syndrome symptoms. Those with Marfan syndrome are normally tall, slim with thin, long arms and legs. They also have very loose and flexible joints. Do not worry if you feel your child is taller than his age group. Marfan syndrome is a rare condition and you need to look out for other Marfan syndrome symptoms like:

• Bottom jaw is smaller than normal
• The palate is high and arched
• Deep set eyes
• Flat feet
• The breast bone either protrudes outward or caves in
• Crowded teeth

Causes of Marfan Syndrome
Marfan syndrome is usually an inherited condition from a parent with an abnormal gene. It is an autosomal dominant condition. This means only one defective gene from a parent can lead to the disease. Therefore, a child of a parent with the defective gene has 50-50 chances of developing the condition. The defective gene is that gene enables the body to produce a protein that helps the body tissues to be elastic and strong.

This was all about the Marfan syndrome symptoms. You can read in detail about the treatment in the article Marfan syndrome treatment. Speak to the doctor regarding the Marfan syndrome and management of your lifestyle according to the severity of the disease.