Children diagnosed with Marfan should be checked for scoliosis by their pediatricians at each annual physical examination.
It is recommended that patients have an echocardiogram during each of the three trimesters of pregnancy.
No, it is an abomination located on the 17th chromosome. IMO there should be a culling to remove it from the face of this planet. I have Marfan Syndrome and it's horrendous. I fear having children purely because i would hate to pass this mutation onto them.
Yes. A person with Marfan syndrome should have no problem flying in a commercial aircraft. Flights in an unpressurized aircraft are not recommended though, because the changes in altitude can cause a collapsed lung (pneumothorax), a particular risk for people with Marfan syndrome.
The child's spine should be x rayed in order to measure the extent of scoliosis or kyphosis.
Smoking is particularly harmful for Marfan patients because it increases their risk of emphysema.
A pregnant woman with Marfan should also receive genetic counseling regarding the 50% risk of having a child with the syndrome.
Patients with Marfan should have a thorough eye examination, including a slit-lamp examination, to test for dislocation of the lens as well as nearsightedness.
Cataracts are treated with increasing success by implant surgery. It is important, however, to seek treatment at medical centers with eye surgeons familiar with the possible complications of cataract surgery in patients with Marfan syndrome.
After a person has been diagnosed with Marfan, he or she should be monitored with an echocardiogram every six months until it is clear that the aorta is not growing larger. After that, the patient should have an echocardiogram once a year.
People with Marfan should avoid sports or occupations that require heavy weight lifting, rough physical contact, or rapid changes in atmospheric pressure (e.g., scuba diving).
Because patients with Marfan are at increased risk of glaucoma, they should have the fluid pressure inside the eye measured every year as part of an eye examination. Glaucoma can be treated with medications or with surgery.
The importance of the slit-lamp examination is that it allows the doctor to detect a dislocated lens, which is a significant indication of the syndrome.