Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder affecting the connective tissues and is marked by tall slender built. The severity of the symptoms will increase over time and this syndrome is caused due to gene mutation. No treatment is available to control Marfan syndrome but symptoms can be managed without complications. The connective tissues are nothing but group of fibers that covers your organs and this disorder affects the connective tissue of the entire body.
Symptoms :
The symptoms are not the same for every child affected with marfan syndrome. Some of the common anatomical features of the children affected with this disorder are given below:-
Skeleton :
The bones of these children are tall and slender. Hence it will result in the development of long arms and long legs with lengthy fingers and toes. The hands and legs will not be matching with that of other body features. The child will have a long narrow face and the roof of the oral cavity can be circular which can seriously affect the teeth alignment. The breastbone is either bent in or protruding out and the spinal cord is overly curved.
Eyes :
Very often the children affected with marfan syndrome will have serious eye problems. They may develop shortsightedness in early age and the lens of the eyes can be dislocated. Retina may found to be detached from the socket causing more complication. Many children may develop glaucoma and cataracts due to lack of clarity in the lens.
Cardiovascular System :
Since connective tissues are very much present in vital organs like heart and lungs, this disorder will affect the blood vessels also. The wall of aorta (major valve in the heart) can become weak causing aortic dilation. It can cause sudden heart attack and even death if the aortic wall explodes. Many children with this problem will have leakage of blood from the valves indicated through heart murmur. Over years it can cause shortness of breath and fast heartbeat.