title: A clinical and echocardiographic study of patients with the hypermobility syndrome.
abstract: Three age- and symptom-matched groups of patients with a hypermobility score of 5-9, 3-4, and 0-2 (controls), respectively, were examined for clinical and echocardiographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse and other stigmata of a collagen disorder. Mitral valve prolapse, a reduced upper segment/lower segment mitral ratio, reduced skin thickness, spinal anomalies, and a history of fracture were found to be significantly commoner among the hypermobile patients than the controls. The data suggest that the so-called hypermobility syndrome, far from being a benign locomotor disorder of healthy persons, may be a forme fruste of a hereditary disorder of connective tissue.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D013577:Syndrome