Marfan Syndrome
Do you know that tall, skinny kid that towers over everyone? There might be a genetic disorder to explain why he is like that. Have you ever heard of something called Marfan syndrome or MFS? It is a genetic disorder that about one in every five thousand people have and there is a fifty percent chance that it can be passed on to the next generation ("What Is Marfan Syndrome?"). Marfan syndrome is an abnormal condition characterized by elongation of the bones, and abnormalities in the cardiovascular system and the eyes (Hamilton). Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder that can be inherited from ancestors and there is a very high possibility that if someone has it, they will pass it down to a future generation("What Is Marfan Syndrome?"). It
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The most common symptoms of the disorder are tall and slender with an arm span longer than their height. They may also have elongated faces and fingers, crowded teeth, and abnormal curvature of the spine ("What Is Marfan Syndrome?" ). These symptoms may not seem severe, just inconveniences, but the disorder contains many other harmful symptoms. Marfan syndrome can cause vision problems due to dislocated lens in one of the primary symptoms. The other main problem is a defect in the large blood vessel that distributes blood to the entire body ("Marfan Syndrome"). This can lead to other problems such as the aorta weakening and stretching, causing leaks and bulges in the aortic wall ("Marfan Syndrome"). Also, they may have a protruding or sunken chest that may result in abnormal accumulation of air in the chest which could cause a lung to collapse. The main cause of all these symptoms is a disorder in the connective tissues. To diagnose Marfan syndrome, the doctors first look at the patient's family history with the disorder and conduct a physical examination ("What Is Marfan Syndrome?"). They may also conduct other tests such as an MRI to examine the spine and Echocardiogram to look at the heart to see if any of the features of Marfan syndrome were not visible during the physical examination ("What Is Marfan
The most common symptoms of the disorder are tall and slender with an arm span longer than their height. They may also have elongated faces and fingers, crowded teeth, and abnormal curvature of the spine ("What Is Marfan Syndrome?" ). These symptoms may not seem severe, just inconveniences, but the disorder contains many other harmful symptoms. Marfan syndrome can cause vision problems due to dislocated lens in one of the primary symptoms. The other main problem is a defect in the large blood vessel that distributes blood to the entire body ("Marfan Syndrome"). This can lead to other problems such as the aorta weakening and stretching, causing leaks and bulges in the aortic wall ("Marfan Syndrome"). Also, they may have a protruding or sunken chest that may result in abnormal accumulation of air in the chest which could cause a lung to collapse. The main cause of all these symptoms is a disorder in the connective tissues. To diagnose Marfan syndrome, the doctors first look at the patient's family history with the disorder and conduct a physical examination ("What Is Marfan Syndrome?"). They may also conduct other tests such as an MRI to examine the spine and Echocardiogram to look at the heart to see if any of the features of Marfan syndrome were not visible during the physical examination ("What Is Marfan