Introduction: Little is known about the gastrointestinal manifestations or safety of endoscopy among patients with heritable connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).
Methods: We conducted an electronic cross-sectional survey nested within preexisting registries of patients with heritable connective tissue disorders and examined self-reported rates of endoscopic complications.
Results: The rate of endoscopy-related perforation was 9.4% (95% confidence interval 2.0%-25.0%) among individuals with vascular EDS, <1% in classical and hypermobility-type EDS, and zero in Marfan syndrome (P < 0.001). Spontaneous intestinal perforation was also significantly higher in the vascular EDS group.
Discussion: Clinicians should consider noninvasive screening methods for patients with vascular EDS.