A 19-year-old female presents with features suggesting Marfan syndrome, including long arms and fingers, pectus excavatum, joint dislocations, and ectopic lentis. Which echocardiogram finding would be most consistent with this condition?

• A. Right atrial enlargement
• B. Aortic root dilation
• C. Pulmonic stenosis
• D. Ventricular septal defect

Answer: (B)

Marfan syndrome weakens the connective tissue in the aortic media, making the aorta especially prone to dilation at the aortic root. On echocardiography, this presents as enlargement of the proximal aorta, which can also lead to aortic regurgitation as the root expands. This vascular involvement is the feature most closely tied to Marfan and explains the risk of serious complications like dissection. Other findings listed would point to different cardiac issues not characteristically linked to Marfan—for example, right atrial enlargement suggests right-sided problems, pulmonic stenosis is a fixed outflow obstruction, and a ventricular septal defect is a congenital hole in the septum. Thus, a dilated aortic root is the finding that best fits this condition.