general appearance
Last reviewed 01/2018
The general appearance of a patient may be characteristic of certain inherited syndromes which are associated with cardiovascular malfunction. Such syndromes include:
- Down's syndrome (PDA, ASD & VSD)
- Marfan's syndrome (aortic dissection, valve disease)
- Turner's syndrome (aortic coarctation & aortic stenosis)
Other important syndromes to spot are:
- ankylosing spondylitis (aortic regurgitation)
- acromegaly (hypertension & cardiomegaly)
The patient should also be inspected for the presence of:
- dyspnoea
- cyanosis
- jaundice
- cachexia