Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a multi-systemic genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue. Those with the condition tend to be tall and thin, with long arms, legs, fingers, and toes. They also typically have exceptionally flexible joints and abnormally curved spines. The most serious complications involve the heart and aorta, with an increased risk of mitral valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm. The lungs, eyes, bones, and the covering of the spinal cord are also commonly affected. The severity of the symptoms is variable.
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus for clot formation (thrombosis) and embolization. As an aneurysm increases in size, the risk of rupture, which leads to uncontrolled bleeding, increases. Although they may occur in any blood vessel, particularly lethal examples include aneurysms of the circle of Willis in the brain, aortic aneurysms affecting the thoracic aorta, and abdominal aortic aneurysms. Aneurysms can arise in the heart itself following a heart attack, including both ventricular and atrial septal aneurysms. There are congenital atrial septal aneurysms, a rare heart defect.
Takayasu's arteritis (TA), also known as aortic arch syndrome, nonspecific aortoarteritis, and pulseless disease, is a form of large vessel granulomatous vasculitis with massive intimal fibrosis and vascular narrowing, most commonly affecting young or middle-aged women of Asian descent, though anyone can be affected. It mainly affects the aorta and its branches, as well as the pulmonary arteries. Females are about 8–9 times more likely to be affected than males.
Oculocerebrorenal syndrome is a rare X-linked recessive disorder characterized by congenital cataracts, hypotonia, intellectual disability, proximal tubular acidosis, aminoaciduria and low-molecular-weight proteinuria. Lowe syndrome can be considered a cause of Fanconi syndrome.
Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is a type of muscular dystrophy, a group of heritable diseases that cause progressive impairment of muscles. EDMD affects muscles used for movement, causing atrophy, weakness and contractures. It almost always affects the heart, causing abnormal rhythms, heart failure, or sudden cardiac death. It is rare, affecting 0.39 per 100,000 people. It is named after Alan Eglin H. Emery and Fritz E. Dreifuss.
Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a flap-like tear of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow. The symptoms of vertebral artery dissection include head and neck pain and intermittent or permanent stroke symptoms such as difficulty speaking, impaired coordination, and visual loss. It is usually diagnosed with a contrast-enhanced CT or MRI scan.
Loeys–Dietz syndrome (LDS) is an autosomal dominant genetic connective tissue disorder. It has features similar to Marfan syndrome and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. The disorder is marked by aneurysms in the aorta, often in children, and the aorta may also undergo sudden dissection in the weakened layers of the wall of the aorta. Aneurysms and dissections also can occur in arteries other than the aorta. Because aneurysms in children tend to rupture early, children are at greater risk for dying if the syndrome is not identified. Surgery to repair aortic aneurysms is essential for treatment.
Hyper IgM syndrome is a rare primary immune deficiency disorders characterized by low or absent levels of serum IgG, IgA, IgE and normal or increased levels of serum IgM.
Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome, also known as blepharophimosis-ptosis-intellectual disability syndrome, is an extremely rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder characterized by severe mental retardation, brachycephaly, upslanting palpebral fissures, eye abnormalities, and highly arched palate. It was characterized in 1971; eight cases had been identified as of 1995. To date, the amount of cases is disputed, with sources claiming the number ranges from 14 to 31.
Type III Collagen is a homotrimer, or a protein composed of three identical peptide chains (monomers), each called an alpha 1 chain of type III collagen. Formally, the monomers are called collagen type III, alpha-1 chain and in humans are encoded by the COL3A1 gene. Type III collagen is one of the fibrillar collagens whose proteins have a long, inflexible, triple-helical domain.
Branchio-oto-renal syndrome (BOR) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder involving the kidneys, ears, and neck. It is also known as Melnick-Fraser syndrome.
Buschke–Ollendorff syndrome (BOS) is a rare genetic skin disorder associated with LEMD3 that typically presents with widespread painless papules.
Solute carrier family 2, facilitated glucose transporter member 10 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC2A10 gene.
Generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI) is an extremely rare genetic disorder. It is caused by mutations in the ENPP1 gene in 75% of the subjects or in mutations in the ABCC6 genes in 10% of patients. However, sometimes individuals affected with GACI do not have mutations in the ENPP1 or ABCC6 gene and in those cases the cause of the disorder is unknown.
Parkes Weber syndrome (PWS) is a congenital disorder of the vascular system. It is an extremely rare condition, and its exact prevalence is unknown. It is named after British dermatologist Frederick Parkes Weber, who first described the syndrome in 1907.
McKusick–Kaufman syndrome is a genetic condition associated with MKKS.
Cantú syndrome is a rare condition characterized by hypertrichosis, osteochondrodysplasia, and cardiomegaly. Less than 50 cases have been described in the literature; they are associated with a mutation in the ABCC9-gene that codes for the ABCC9-protein.
Wiedemann–Rautenstrauch (WR) syndrome, also known as neonatal progeroid syndrome, is a rare autosomal recessive progeroid syndrome. There have been over 30 cases of WR. WR is associated with abnormalities in bone maturation, and lipids and hormone metabolism.
Myhre syndrome (MS) is an ultrarare genetic disorder caused by dominant gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in the SMAD4 gene. MS mutations are missense heterozygous mutations affecting only Ile500 or Arg496 residues of the SMAD4 protein. MS patients exhibit manifestations of connective tissue disease including dysfunction of the integumentary, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems and is often characterized by proliferative systemic fibrosis. Some of these features are life threatening, such as airway or arterial narrowing and fibroproliferation of tissues including lung, heart, and liver. Consistent with these clinical observations, cells isolated from patients with MS demonstrate increased TGF-β signaling.
