I think I have Marfan Syndrome?

Question

I am 5'8" 20 years old Arabic Male. I weigh about 120 pounds maybe less. I have some homestead like a slightly crooked spine and if you call can imagine supper thin and long arms long limbs. Along with a long face. I also wear glasses.
My physical appearance says I have it. But I been tested for the lungs and such and every thing healthy. (they were not search for any signs of Marfan Syndrome but it still came out good)
My daily life style is like this. I eat maybe once a day a meal not to big and squeeze a bunch of small snacks like candy or chips between.
I never have an appetite so I smoke weed to get one. I also smoke about 2 packs of cigarettes a week.
I do all that cause I may or may not be depressed. I am not sure I have my good and bad days. So what do you think?
Do I have it or its just poor habits?
I have to see a specialist soon but geez. I am not ready for bad news.

Answer 1

We can't really diagnose you online or with the information you've given us. A syndrome means having a grouping of symptoms. For marfan that means certain criteria in at least 2 of the following systems: cardiac, optho (eye) and skeleton. Other areas including skin, spine (dural ectasia) and others can be affected. Almost every part of the body has connective tissue, and to determine if marfan or another disorder depends on the areas affected.

Skeletal: look for things like arm span longer than height, extreme flexibility or loose joints, flat or high arched feet, high palette probably causing teeth crowding, extremety bones longer in proportion.

Eyes: typically near-sighted, may have loose lens, a slit-lamp test done by an experience opthomologist can check the lens and see other markings that would indicate marfan.

Cardio: MVP most common, but common in general population also. For a diagnosis would need an echo (ultrasound of heart) and see if there is any dialation of aortic root and how the valves are working.

*Remember not everything may show at once
*If other systems or areas are affected more could be different connective tissue disorder
*Depression can come from medical problems or not taking care of yourself, life circumstances...
*Smoking isn't good for you with or without marfan
*There is a DNA test available but it isn't 100% definitive
*If there is family history of any of these traits it's worth looking into.
*Better to be tested and possibly continually monitored to be safe than have a life-threatening event happen

Answer 2

I don't think you fit the profile. One you are not abnormally tall. You may just not have much of an appetite. Stop smoking weed, and cigerettes. Concentrate on eating healthy. Get rid of the candy and chips.

The Marfan syndrome affects people in different ways. Some people have only mild symptoms, while others are more severely affected. In most cases, the disorder progresses as the person ages. The body systems most often affected by the Marfan syndrome are:



Skeleton- People with the Marfan syndrome are typically, but not always, very tall or taller than unaffected people in their family, slender and loose jointed. The Marfan syndrome affects the long bones of the skeleton. Therefore the arms, legs, fingers, and toes may be disproportionately long in relation to the rest of the body. A person with the Marfan syndrome often has a long, narrow face, and the roof of the mouth may be arched, causing the teeth to be crowded. Other skeletal abnormalities include a sternum (breastbone) that is either protruding or indented, curvature of the spine (scoliosis), and flat feet. For more information: Orthopedic Concerns Brochure; excerpt from The Marfan Syndrome


Eyes- More than half of all people with the Marfan syndrome experience dislocation of one or both lenses of the eye. The lens may be slightly higher or lower than normal and may be shifted off to one side. The dislocation may be minimal, or it may be pronounced and obvious. Retinal detachment is a possible serious complication of this disorder. Many people with the Marfan syndrome are also nearsighted (myopic), and some can develop early glaucoma (high pressure within the eye) or cataracts (the eye's lens loses its clearness). For more information: Ocular Concerns; excerpt from The Marfan Syndrome; Pediatric Eye Issues; Management of Dislocated Lenses
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Heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular system)- Most people with the Marfan syndrome have problems associated with the heart and blood vessels. The valve between the left chambers of the heart is defective and may be large and floppy, resulting in an abnormal valve motion when the heart beats. In some cases, the valve may leak, creating a "heart murmur," which a doctor can hear with a stethoscope. Small leaks may not cause any symptoms, but larger ones may result in shortness of breath, fatigue and palpitations (a very fast or irregular heart rate). Because of faulty connective tissue, the wall of the aorta (the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body) may be weakened and stretch, a process called aortic dilation. Aortic dilation increases the risk that the aorta will tear (dissect) or rupture, causing serious heart problems or sometimes sudden death. For more information: Cardiac Concerns; excerpt from The Marfan Syndrome; Emergency Diagnosis and Aortic Dissection


Nervous system- The brain and spinal cord are surrounded by fluid contained by a membrane called the dura, which is comprised of connective tissue. As people with The Marfan syndrome get older, the dura often weakens and stretches, then begins to weigh on the vertebrae in the lower spine and wear away the bone surrounding the spinal cord. This is called dural ectasia. These changes may cause only mild discomfort or may lead to radiated pain in the abdomen or to pain, numbness or weakness of the legs. For more information: Dural Ectasia; excerpt from The Marfan Syndrome


Skin- Many people with The Marfan syndrome develop stretch marks on their skin, even without any significant weight change or pregnancy. These stretch marks can occur at any age and pose no health risk. The stretch marks tend to appear at sites subject to stress such as shoulders, hips and lower back. The stretch marks require no treatment. In addition, people with the Marfan syndrome are also at increased risk for developing an abdominal or inguinal (groin) hernia where a bulge develops that contains part of the intestines. This requires medical treatment.


Lungs- Restrictive lung disease, primarily due to pectus abnormalities and/or scoliosis, occurs in 70 percent of persons with MFS. In addition, because fibrillin is expressed in the lung and is associated with elastin there, Marfan fibrillin –1 deficiency is thought to affect both lung development and homeostasis. Spontaneous pneumothorax (collapse of the lung in the absence of trauma) and early emphasema, without a history of smoking, may be consequences of the fibrillin-1 deficiency. Sleep-related breathing disorders, such as snoring and sleep apnea, are also associated with Marfan syndrome, even when the person is not overweight.

Answer 3

its autosomal dominant ,so if u have it family history is important ,or could be sporadic and u are first in family ,only confirmation is a physical and a doctors opinion ,