Marfan Syndrome

Overview

Mayo Clinic offers individualized treatment of Marfan syndrome in children and adults. Specialists in cardiovascular diseases work together with medical, genetic and surgical specialists to diagnose and provide comprehensive treatment options for patients with Marfan syndrome.

Normal aorta and enlarged aorta with aneurysm

Diagnosis

At Mayo Clinic, cardiologists and medical geneticists diagnose Marfan syndrome. Diagnosis involves a complete family history, genetic evaluation and a physical examination. The physical examination includes an evaluation of the patient's heart function, eyesight and skeletal system.

Marfan syndrome may be difficult to diagnose and is sometimes confused with other inherited disorders. Physicians should be told if a patient's relative or ancestor has or had Marfan syndrome, especially if the patient has only one or two of the condition's features. Read more about Marfan syndrome diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment of Marfan syndrome at Mayo Clinic varies, depending on the organ systems affected. Although Marfan syndrome has no known cure, advances in medical treatments and surgery can improve patients' long-term outcomes and life spans. A team of medical specialists works closely with each Marfan syndrome patient to create an individualized treatment plan.

Mayo Clinic in Minnesota offers an integrated genetic, medical and surgical team of physicians in the Marfan Clinic to provide diagnosis and treatment for patients with Marfan syndrome.

Genetic and reproductive counseling is also offered at Mayo Clinic as part of each patient's treatment. This counseling is an important part of caring for patients and families with Marfan syndrome. Read more about Marfan syndrome treatment options.

• Treatment in Arizona
• Treatment in Florida
• Treatment in Minnesota
• Treatment of Children & Adolescents

About Marfan Syndrome

Marfan syndrome is a disorder of the body's connective tissue that can affect the skeletal system, blood vessels, heart, lungs, eyes and other organ systems. Marfan syndrome can be inherited from either parent, or it can result from a new change in genetic material. If a parent has Marfan syndrome, offspring have a 50-50 chance of inheriting the disorder. Approximately 200,000 people in the United States have Marfan syndrome, which can occur in men or women of any race or ethnic group. Many affected individuals are young adults, adolescents or children.

Read more about Marfan syndrome at MayoClinic.com.