Marfan's Syndrome

Marfan's syndrome is a genetic condition that affects the connective tissues. It was named for Dr. Antoine Marfan, who first described the condition in 1896. Statistically, it affects one person in every five to ten thousand and that statistic is routine across the races. It also affects men and women equally.

People affected by this syndrome tend to be abnormally tall and thin, with proportionally long arms, legs, fingers, and toes.They typically have flexible joints and may have scoliosis. Serious complications of Marfan's involve the heart, specifically the aorta, with an increased risk of mitral valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm. Some of the other commonly affected areas include the lungs, eyes, bones and the covering of the spinal cord. Modern historians and researchers believe that Abraham Lincoln suffered from Marfan's Syndrome; thus explaining his tall, thin, and gangly appearance.