Hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes: Clinical aspects and patient's quality of life

Abstract

There is an urgent need to increase the Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) awareness, that for most authors is the same as the Ehlers-Danlos Hypermobility type (formerly called EDS type III) that is a congenital, very prevalent and emergent condition, frequently undiagnosed in most countries, which usually can cause significant health problems. Adolescents and young adults may develop osteoporosis, early osteoarthritis and/or dysautonomia, which may occur frequently and cause poor quality of life. Many JHS patients have signs and symptoms suggestive of Fibromyalgia and are usually misdiagnosed. Physicians should be able to differentiate the less severe JHS from the Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, formerly called EDS type IV, so as to know the diagnosis of the patient before a serious complication arises, situation that could save his life. Emphasis is made in the poor quality of life of these patients, physical and mental, due not only to the disease itself, but due to lack of knowledge about the disease by physicians and kinesiologists, resulting in inadequate treatments. Other forms of Hereditary Connective Tissue Diseases are discussed briefly