How does Marfan syndrome affect the dura?
In people with Marfan syndrome, the dura, a fluid filled membrane surrounding the central nervous system, may enlarge (dural ectasia) and push on the bones of the vertebral column, therefore widening the spinal canal and eroding the bone surrounding it. Mild degrees of dural ectasia, however, are generally without symptoms. The dural ectasia may also expand and push through natural gaps in the backbone into the abdomen.
