Bone mineral density in Marfan syndrome. A large case-control study.

Abstract Objective To measure bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of patients meeting Gand criteria for Marfan syndrome, comparatively with a group of healthy controls. Methods Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure BMD at the hip and wrist in 130 patients seen at the Multidisciplinary Marfan Clinic, Paris, France. Results were compared to values in the database of the absorptiometry machine (Hologic QDR100) and to values in 72 healthy height-matched controls including 35 whose body mass index (BMI) values were similar to those in the patients. Results A history of fractures was noted in 32 (24.6%) patients. Z-score values were significantly decreased in the patients compared to the Hologic database values at the femoral neck (−1.190 ± 0.098, P P P Conclusion Men and women with Marfan syndrome have significant osteopenia independent from BMI.