Hereditary disorders of connective tissue: a guide to the emerging differential diagnosis.

PURPOSE: To create a practical desk reference for clinicians focused on the differential diagnosis of individuals presenting with features that suggest an inherited disorder of connective tissue.

METHODS: We searched the medical literature for distinct clinical entities that shared clinical features with Marfan syndrome and other classical inherited disorders of connective tissue.

RESULTS: Thirty-six distinct heritable disorders of connective tissue were identified that have overlapping features. These disorders were organized into two matrices according to clinical characteristics and according to causative genes.

CONCLUSIONS: A broad differential diagnosis is emerging for individuals presenting with features suggestive of altered connective tissue. Recent advances in molecular genetics have aided in the delineation of these disorders.