Marlies J.E. Kempers's research while affiliated with Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc) and other places

BACKGROUND Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) is a rare connective tissue disorder with a high risk for arterial, bowel, and uterine rupture, caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in COL3A1 . The aim of this cohort study is to provide further insights into the natural history of vEDS and describe genotype-phenotype correlations in a Dutch multicenter cohort to optimize patient care and increase awareness of the disease. METHODS Individuals with vEDS throughout the Netherlands were included. The phenotype was charted by retrospective analysis of molecular and clinical data, combined with a one-time physical examination. RESULTS A total of 142 individuals (50% female) participated the study, including 46 index patients (32%). The overall median age at genetic diagnosis was 41.0 years. More than half of the index patients (54.3%) and relatives (53.1%) had a physical appearance highly suggestive of vEDS. In these individuals, major events were not more frequent ( P =0.90), but occurred at a younger age ( P =0.01). A major event occurred more often and at a younger age in men compared with women ( P <0.001 and P =0.004, respectively). Aortic aneurysms ( P =0.003) and pneumothoraces ( P =0.029) were more frequent in men. Aortic dissection was more frequent in individuals with a COL3A1 variant in the first quarter of the collagen helical domain ( P =0.03). CONCLUSIONS Male sex, type and location of the COL3A1 variant, and physical appearance highly suggestive of vEDS are risk factors for the occurrence and/or early age of onset of major events. This national multicenter cohort study of Dutch individuals with vEDS provides a valuable basis for improving guidelines for the diagnosing, follow-up, and treatment of individuals with vEDS.

Our case report documents the first type A aortic dissection in a patient with Kabuki syndrome (KS) and emphasize the need for intensive cardiovascular risk monitoring in patients with KS. It stresses the importance of further research to establish a correlation and awareness for patients with KS.

Background Aortic root dilation is a major complication of Marfan syndrome and is one of the most important criteria in establishing the diagnosis. Currently, different echocardiographic nomograms are used to calculate aortic root Z-scores. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential differences in aortic root measurements when aortic root Z-scores were obtained in a cohort of paediatric Marfan patients using several published nomograms. Methods In a cohort of 100 children with Marfan syndrome, Z-scores for aortic root dimensions were calculated according to the nomograms of Pettersen et al, Gautier et al, Colan et al, and Lopez et al. Bland–Altman plots were used to estimate mean differences in Z-scores and to establish limits of agreement. Results The mean Z-score of the sinus of Valsalva for Lopez et al was significantly higher compared to Gautier et al (p < 0.01) and Pettersen et al (p = 0.03). The nomogram of Lopez et al resulted in substantially higher Z-scores in patients with a large sinus of Valsalva diameter. Thirty-five percentage of the studied patients would have a Z-score ≥ 2 using Lopez et al compared to 20% for Pettersen et al, 21% for Gautier et al, and 33% for Colan et al. Conclusion The currently available nomograms for calculating Z-scores of aortic dilation in children with Marfan syndrome lead to clinically relevant differences in Z-scores, especially in children with a relative large aortic root diameter. This could have impact on both the diagnosis and treatment of patients with Marfan syndrome.