Mitral Valve Prolapse and Dural Ectasia in a Patient With Marfan Syndrome

Abstract

The diagnosis of Marfan syndrome (MFS) is difficult because of the wide variability of clinical signs and the low specificity of many of the clinical signs. A 26-year-old woman showed only one major sign (skeletal features) and one minor sign (mitral valve prolapse) in the doctor's office. Magnetic resonance (MR) images revealed extensive dural ectasia with significant expansion of the dura. We thus diagnosed her with MFS according to the Ghent Nosology. Our patient had typical skeletal findings of MFS and displayed mitral valve prolapse, but not enlargement of aortic root. In such patients, it would be useful to detect dural ectasia by MRI in the diagnosis of MFS.