Cardiovascular disease of connective tissue origin.
Inherited abnormalities of connective tissue elements often cause changes in the structure and function of the cardiovascular system. Well-known heritable disorders of connective tissue in which cardiovascular abnormalities are prominent include the Marfan syndrome and the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Connective tissue abnormalities also occur without the associated features of a recognized syndrome. These include isolated valvular prolapse and anuloaortic ectasia. In this review, the cardiovascular features of connective tissue abnormalities--both the recognized syndromes and the isolated abnormalities--are described, important concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders are reviewed, and the classification of inherited connective tissue abnormalities of the cardiovascular system is discussed.
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D013577:Syndrome