Cardiovascular disease of connective tissue origin.

Inherited abnormalities of connective tissue elements often cause changes in the structure and function of the cardiovascular system. Well-known heritable disorders of connective tissue in which cardiovascular abnormalities are prominent include the Marfan syndrome and the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Connective tissue abnormalities also occur without the associated features of a recognized syndrome. These include isolated valvular prolapse and anuloaortic ectasia. In this review, the cardiovascular features of connective tissue abnormalities--both the recognized syndromes and the isolated abnormalities--are described, important concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders are reviewed, and the classification of inherited connective tissue abnormalities of the cardiovascular system is discussed.