Symptoms of Marfan syndrome
Symptoms of Marfan syndrome
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Marfan syndrome includes the 54
symptoms listed below:
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Marfan syndrome:
Marfan syndrome: Complications
Review medical complications possibly associated with Marfan syndrome:
Marfan syndrome Symptoms: Book Excerpts
Research More About Marfan syndrome
Do I have Marfan syndrome?
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical tests related to Marfan syndrome:
Less Common Symptoms of Marfan syndrome:
Ocassionally other symptoms may also present themselves as symptoms of Marfan syndrome.
19
of the more common ones are included in the list below:
Wrongly Diagnosed with Marfan syndrome?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions
that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses
for Marfan syndrome includes:
See the full list of 10
alternative diagnoses for Marfan syndrome
Marfan syndrome: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
More about symptoms of Marfan syndrome:
More information about symptoms of Marfan syndrome and related conditions:
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list
of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions,
or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Online about Marfan syndrome
Medical Books Excerpts
Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Marfan syndrome
are available from published medical books
for more detailed information about Marfan syndrome.
Medical Books Excerpts
- LORDOSIS
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- SCOLIOSIS
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- Scoliosis
- "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Scoliosis
- "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
- [ read ]
- LORDOSIS
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
- SCOLIOSIS
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Symptoms of Marfan syndrome: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the symptoms of Marfan syndrome.
Marfan syndrome:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The most common signs and symptoms of this disorder are skeletal abnormalities, particularly excessively long tubular bones and an arm span that exceeds the patient's height. The patient is usually taller than average for his family (in the 95th percentile for his age), with the upper half of his body shorter than average and the lower half, longer. His fingers are long and slender (arachnodactyly). Weakness of ligaments, tendons, and joint capsules results in joints that are loose, hyperextensible, and habitually dislocated. Excessive growth of the rib bones gives rise to chest deformities such as pectus excavatum (funnel chest).
Eye problems are also common; 75% of patients have crystalline lens displacement (ectopia lentis), the ocular hallmark of Marfan syndrome. Quivering of the iris with eye movement (iridodonesis) typically suggests this disorder. Most patients are severely myopic, many have retinal detachment, and some have glaucoma.
The most serious complications occur in the cardiovascular system and include weakness of the aortic media, which leads to progressive dilation or dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta. Such dilation appears first in the coronary sinuses and is commonly preceded by aortic insufficiency. Less-common cardiovascular complications include mitral valve prolapse and endocarditis.
Other associated problems include sparsity of subcutaneous fat, frequent hernias, cystic lung disease, recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, and scoliosis or kyphosis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Scoliosis:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The most common curve in functional or structural scoliosis arises in the thoracic segment, with convexity to the right, and compensatory curves (S curves) in the cervical segment above and the lumbar segment below, both with convexity to the left. (See Cobb method for measuring angle of curvature.) As the spine curves laterally, compensatory curves develop to maintain body balance and mark the deformity. Scoliosis rarely produces subjective symptoms until it’s well established; when symptoms do occur, they include backache, fatigue, and dyspnea. Because many teenagers are shy about their bodies, their parents suspect that something is wrong only after they notice uneven hemlines, pant legs that appear unequal in length, or subtle physical signs like one hip appearing higher than the other. Untreated scoliosis may result in pulmonary insufficiency (curvature may decrease lung capacity), back pain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, disk disease, and sciatica.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Scoliosis:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
The most common curve in functional or structural scoliosis arises in the thoracic segment, with convexity to the right, and compensatory curves (S curves) in the cervical segment above and the lumbar segment below, both with convexity to the left. As the spine curves laterally, compensatory curves develop to maintain body balance and mark the deformity.
Scoliosis rarely produces subjective symptoms until it’s well established; when symptoms do occur, they include backache, fatigue, and dyspnea. Because many teenagers are shy about their bodies, their parents suspect that something is wrong only after they notice uneven hemlines, pant legs that appear unequal in length, or subtle physical signs like one hip appearing higher than the other.
Untreated scoliosis may result in pulmonary insufficiency (curvature may decrease lung capacity), back pain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, disk disease, and sciatica.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Teething:
Teething - signs & symptoms
(The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult)
Of note, fever >38.8°C (102°F), irritability, or diarrhea should not be attributed to teething, and other etiologies should be considered, such as acute otitis media, urinary tract infection, septicemia, meningitis, septic arthritis, or viral infection.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Marfan syndrome:
Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology (Excerpt)
Marfan syndrome is a connective tissue disorder, so affects many structures, including the skeleton, lungs, eyes, heart and blood vessels. The disease is characterized by unusually long limbs, and is believed to have affected Abraham Lincoln.
(Source: Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology)
Questions and Answers about Marfan Syndrome: NIAMS (Excerpt)
Marfan syndrome affects different people in different
ways. Some people have only mild symptoms, while others are more
severely affected. In most cases, the disorder progresses as the person
ages. The body systems most often affected by Marfan syndrome are:
- Skeleton--People with Marfan syndrome are typically very
tall, slender, and loose jointed. Since Marfan syndrome affects the
long bones of the skeleton, arms, legs, fingers, and toes may be
disproportionately long in relation to the rest of the body. A person
with Marfan syndrome often has a long, narrow face, and the roof of
the mouth may be arched, causing the teeth to be crowded. Other
skeletal abnormalities include a sternum (breastbone) that is either
protruding or indented, curvature of the spine (scoliosis), and flat
feet.
- Eyes--More than half of all people with Marfan syndrome
experience dislocation of one or both lenses of the eye. The lens may
be slightly higher or lower than normal and may be shifted off to one
side. The dislocation may be minimal, or it may be pronounced and
obvious. Retinal detachment is a possible serious complication of this
disorder. Many people with Marfan syndrome are also nearsighted
(myopic), and some can develop early glaucoma (high pressure within
the eye) or cataracts (the eye's lens loses its clearness).
- Heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular system)--Most
people with Marfan syndrome have abnormalities associated with the
heart and blood vessels. The valve between the left chambers of the
heart is defective and may be large and floppy, resulting in an
abnormal valve motion when the heart beats. In some cases, the valve
may leak, creating a "heart murmur," which a doctor can hear with a
stethoscope. Small leaks may not cause any symptoms, but larger ones
may cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and palpitations (a very fast
or irregular heart rate). Because of faulty connective tissue, the
wall of the aorta (the large artery that carries blood from the heart
to the rest of the body) may be weakened and stretch, a process called
aortic dilation. Aortic dilation increases the risk that the aorta
will tear (aortic dissection) or rupture, causing serious heart
problems or sometimes sudden death.
- Nervous system--The brain and spinal cord are surrounded by
fluid contained by a membrane called the dura, which is composed of
connective tissue. As people with Marfan syndrome get older, the dura
often weakens and stretches, then begins to weigh on the vertebrae in
the lower spine and wear away the bone surrounding the spinal cord.
This is called dural ectasia. These changes may cause only mild
discomfort or may lead to radiated pain in the abdomen or to pain,
numbness, or weakness of the legs.
- Skin--Many people with Marfan syndrome develop stretch
marks on their skin, even without any weight change. These stretch
marks can occur at any age and pose no health risk. However, people
with Marfan syndrome are also at increased risk for developing an
abdominal or inguinal hernia where a bulge develops that contains part
of the intestines.
- Lungs--Although connective tissue abnormalities make the
tiny air sacs within the lungs less elastic, people with Marfan
syndrome generally do not experience noticeable problems with their
lungs. If, however, these tiny air sacs become stretched or swollen,
the risk of lung collapse may increase. Rarely, people with Marfan
syndrome may have sleep-related breathing disorders such as snoring or
sleep apnea (a sleep disorder characterized by brief periods when
breathing stops).
(Source: excerpt from
Questions and Answers about Marfan Syndrome: NIAMS)
Questions and Answers about Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue: NIAMS (Excerpt)
People with Marfan syndrome
tend to have excessively long bones and are commonly thin, with
long, "spider-like" fingers. Other problems include skeletal
malformations, abnormal position of the lens of the eye, and
enlargement at the beginning part of the aorta, the major vessel
carrying blood away from the heart. If left untreated, an enlarged
aorta can lead to hemorrhage and even death.
This disorder results
from mutations in the gene that makes fibrillin-1, a protein
important to connective tissue.
(Source: excerpt from Questions and Answers about Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue: NIAMS)
Questions and Answers about Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue: NIAMS (Excerpt)
This disorder results
from mutations in the gene that makes fibrillin-1, a protein
important to connective tissue.
(Source: excerpt from Questions and Answers about Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue: NIAMS)
Marfan syndrome as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions
When considering symptoms of Marfan syndrome, it is also important to consider Marfan syndrome as a possible cause of other medical conditions.
The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Marfan syndrome may cause:
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Marfan syndrome:
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Marfan syndrome.
This signs and symptoms information for Marfan syndrome has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Marfan syndrome signs or Marfan syndrome symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Marfan syndrome may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Marfan syndrome symptoms.
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» Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Marfan syndrome
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