Marfan's syndrome: a review

Colonic diverticulitis in adolescents: an index case and associated syndromes

Diverticular disease of the colon, a common problem among adults, is diagnosed rarely in children. We report an adolescent patient with sigmoid diverticulitis who required operative treatment. Pediatric patients with the complications of diverticula typically have conditions that result in genetic alterations affecting the components of the colonic wall. Our patient had Williams-Beuren syndrome, although Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and cystic fibrosis may also be associated with colonic diverticula in adolescence. Pediatric patients with these disorders who experience abdominal pain should be evaluated for the presence of colonic diverticular complications.

General surgical manifestations of Marfan's syndrome

Marfan's syndrome can manifest as various general surgical pathologies (herniae, diverticulosis, bowel obstruction and abdominal vasculature aneurysms). These pathologies often have abnormal presentations, and in some cases can be life-threatening.

Labor Analgesia for the Parturient With an Uncommon Disorder:

There appears to be an absence of uniform guidelines for management of labor analgesia in pregnant patients with uncommon medical conditions such as Marfan's syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, achondroplastic dwarfism, previous back surgery, and kyphoscoliosis. A Medline search for articles highlighting considerations for obstetric anesthesia in parturients with these disorders was performed. Because of the multiorgan involvement and varied presentations of these disorders, no uniform or routine obstetric anesthetic recommendations can be made. In the absence of uniform obstetric anesthesia guidelines for pregnant patients with Marfan's syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, achondroplastic dwarfism, previous back surgery, and kyphoscoliosis, the decision whether to administer regional anesthesia (epidural labor analgesia) should be based on an individual risk-to-benefit ratio on a case-by-case basis.