People with Marfan syndrome are usually tall with long, thin arms and legs and spider-like fingers -- a condition called arachnodactyly. When they stretch out their arms, the length of their arms is much greater than their height.

Other symptoms include:

• Coloboma of iris
• Flat feet
• Funnel chest (pectus excavatum) or pigeon breast (pectus carinatum)
• Highly arched palate and crowded teeth
• Hypotonia
• Learning disability
• Movement of the lens of the eye from its normal position (dislocation)
• Nearsightedness
• Scoliosis
• Small lower jaw (micrognathia)
• Thin, narrow face

The doctor will perform a physical exam. There may be hypermobile joints and signs of:

• Aneurysm
• Collapsed lung
• Heart valve problems

An eye exam may show:

• Defects of the lens or cornea
• Retinal detachment
• Vision problems

The following tests may be performed:

• Echocardiogram
• Fibrillin-1 mutation testing (in some people)

An echocardiogram should be done every year to look at the base of the aorta.