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Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Treatment:

There is no specific cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, so individual problems and symptoms must be evaluated and cared for appropriately. Frequently, physical therapy or evaluation by a physician specializing in rehabilitation medicine is needed.

Expectations (prognosis):

People with EDS generally have a normal life span. Intelligence is normal.

Patients with the rare vascular type of EDS are at significantly increased risk for rupture of a major organ or blood vessel. These patients therefore have a high risk of sudden death.

Complications:

• Failure of surgical wounds to close (or stitches tear out)
• Chronic joint pain
• Early-onset arthritis
• Rupture of major vessels, including a ruptured aortic aneurysm (only in vascular EDS)
• Rupture of a hollow organ such as uterus or bowel (only in vascular EDS)
• Rupture of the eyeball
• Premature rupture of membranes during pregnancy

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have a family history of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and you are concerned about your risk or are planning to conceive a child.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you or your child has symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

• Review Date: 12/11/2006
• Reviewed By: Brian Kirmse, MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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