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Glayzer JE, Bray BC, Kobak WH, Steffen AD, Schlaeger JM. Lack of Diversity in Research on Females with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes: Recruitment Protocol for a Quantitative Online Survey. JMIR Res Protoc 2024; 13:e53646. [PMID: 38696252 PMCID: PMC11099804 DOI: 10.2196/53646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of connective tissue disorders caused by fragile lax collagen. Current EDS research lacks racial and ethnic diversity. The lack of diversity may be associated with the complexities of conducting a large international study on an underdiagnosed condition and a lack of EDS health care providers who diagnose and conduct research outside of the United States and Europe. Social media may be the key to recruiting a large diverse EDS sample. However, studies that have used social media to recruit have not been able to recruit diverse samples. OBJECTIVE This study aims to discuss challenges, strategies, outcomes, and lessons learned from using social media to recruit a large sample of females with EDS. METHODS Recruitment on social media for a cross-sectional survey examining dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse) in females was examined. Inclusion criteria were (1) older than 18 years of age, (2) assigned female at birth, and (3) diagnosed with EDS. Recruitment took place on Facebook and Twitter (now X), from June 1 to June 25, 2019. RESULTS A total of 1178 females with EDS were recruited from Facebook (n=1174) and X (n=4). On Facebook, participants were recruited via support groups. A total of 166 EDS support groups were identified, 104 permitted the principal investigator to join, 90 approved posting, and the survey was posted in 54 groups. Among them, 30 of the support groups posted in were globally focused and not tied to any specific country or region, 21 were for people in the United States, and 3 were for people outside of the United States. Recruitment materials were posted on X with the hashtag #EDS. A total of 1599 people accessed the survey and 1178 people were eligible and consented. The average age of participants was 38.6 (SD 11.7) years. Participants were predominantly White (n=1063, 93%) and non-Hispanic (n=1046, 92%). Participants were recruited from 29 countries, with 900 (79%) from the United States and 124 (11%) from Great Britain. CONCLUSIONS Our recruitment method was successful at recruiting a large sample. The sample was predominantly White and from North America and Europe. More research needs to be conducted on how to recruit a diverse sample. Areas to investigate may include connecting with more support groups from outside the United States and Europe, researching which platforms are popular in different countries, and translating study materials into different languages. A larger obstacle to recruiting diverse samples may be the lack of health care providers that diagnose EDS outside the United States and Europe, making the pool of potential participants small. There needs to be more health care providers that diagnose and treat EDS in countries that are predominantly made up of people of color as well as research that specifically focuses on these populations. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR1-10.2196/53646.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Glayzer
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Bethany C Bray
- Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - William H Kobak
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alana D Steffen
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Judith M Schlaeger
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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Guedry SE, Langley BO, Schaefer K, Hanes DA. Patient experience of chronic illness care and complementary integrative health use: a cross-sectional study of patients with hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS). Disabil Rehabil 2023; 45:3549-3559. [PMID: 36222285 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2131003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are frequently underdiagnosed, contributing to patient dissatisfaction in the healthcare system. This study evaluated the health service utilization, care, and subjective experiences of living with chronic illness among adults with HSD and EDS in the United States and Canada. METHODS This was an anonymous, web-based, cross-sectional healthcare survey. The survey obtained basic demographic information, the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC+), as well as responses to questions on the use of healthcare and integrative medicine. RESULTS A total of 353 surveys were received. The most common complementary therapies used were physical therapy (82%), massage (68%), yoga (58%), chiropractic (48%), and meditation (43%). Mean (SD) summary PACIC and PACIC 5 As scores were 2.16 (0.77) and 2.25 (0.83), respectively. Across all PACIC domains, mean scores of individuals whose typical doctor visit was 30 min or at least an hour were significantly higher than those of individuals who indicated typical visits of 15 min (all p < 0.0001 by one-way ANOVA). There was widespread agreement on the importance of patient-provider relationship and trust, physicians' understanding of the individual's complete medical history, and prioritization of physical and emotional safety (>95% agree or strongly agree to each). CONCLUSION Individuals with HSD or EDS report low satisfaction with chronic illness care and commonly seek out complementary and self-administered therapies, likely in an attempt to manage symptoms. Respondents reported a desire for greater time and attention from physicians. Results from this study could educate the healthcare community to improve support mechanisms for HSD and EDS populations.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONPatients with hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) or Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) express a desire for patient-centered care and peer support from other individuals with HSD or EDS.Individuals with HSD or EDS have typically seen multiple doctors for their condition and their satisfaction with chronic care, as measured by the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC+), is low.The use of various complementary and integrative health treatments, as well as specialized diets, is common in this population, and might be beneficial for symptom management.Healthcare delivery for HSD and EDS may require a multidisciplinary healthcare team, as complementary and self-care modalities are typically used in addition to physical therapy, pain medication, and other conventional care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Guedry
- Helfgott Research Institute, National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Blake O Langley
- Helfgott Research Institute, National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Douglas A Hanes
- Helfgott Research Institute, National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, OR, USA
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Asif MI, Kalra N, Sharma N, Jain N, Sharma M, Sinha R. Connective tissue disorders and eye: A review and recent updates. Indian J Ophthalmol 2023; 71:2385-2398. [PMID: 37322648 PMCID: PMC10418020 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_286_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Collagen vascular disorders (CVDs), also known as connective tissue diseases (CTDs), are a heterogeneous group of entities that affect the connective tissues and are capable of causing end-organ damage to multiple systems, primarily cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal. However, the occurrence and severity are highly variable among patients. Ocular involvement occurs in a significant number of these disorders and may precede the onset of other extraocular features, thereby serving as an important marker in the diagnosis of these diseases. A timely and accurate diagnosis enables the management of complications. CTDs are primarily immune-mediated inflammatory diseases; however, classifications have encompassed heritable disorders affecting collagen-containing structures and disorders of vascular development. A review of literature published until 25 January 2022 and collected from various databases using the relevant keywords was conducted. All publications (original articles, review articles, as well as case reports) describing the ocular features in CTDs were studied in detail. The objective of this review is to recognize the common ophthalmic presentations of various autoimmune and heritable CTDs, distinguish them from overlapping diseases, elaborate on the prognosis and management of these varied eye presentations, and deliberate on their impact on other ophthalmic surgeries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed I. Asif
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Nidhi Kalra
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Namrata Sharma
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Neha Jain
- The Cornea Institute, KAR Campus, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Mohita Sharma
- Tirupati Eye Centre & Research Institute, Noida, India
| | - Rajesh Sinha
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Asanad S, Bayomi M, Brown D, Buzzard J, Lai E, Ling C, Miglani T, Mohammed T, Tsai J, Uddin O, Singman E. Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and their manifestations in the visual system. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:996458. [PMID: 36237549 PMCID: PMC9552959 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.996458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a rare, genetically variable, heterogenous group of (currently recognized) thirteen connective tissue disorders characterized by skin hyperextensibility, tissue fragility, and generalized joint hypermobility. In addition to these commonly recognized phenotypes, recent studies have notably highlighted variable ophthalmic features in EDS. In this review, we comprehensively gather and discuss the ocular manifestations of EDS and its thirteen subtypes in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Asanad
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - May Bayomi
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Douglas Brown
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Joshua Buzzard
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Eric Lai
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Carlthan Ling
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Trisha Miglani
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Taariq Mohammed
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Joby Tsai
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Olivia Uddin
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Eric Singman
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Eric Singman
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Hernandez-Amaris M, Victoria-Chaparro J. [Translated article] Spontaneous Ecchymoses in a Young Woman Leading to the Diagnosis of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. ACTAS DERMO-SIFILIOGRAFICAS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Hernandez-Amaris M, Victoria-Chaparro J. Equimosis espontáneas en una mujer joven, con propuesta de diagnóstico de síndrome de Ehlers-Danlos hipermóvil. ACTAS DERMO-SIFILIOGRAFICAS 2022; 113:719-720. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2020.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Moshirfar M, Barke MR, Huynh R, Waite AJ, Ply B, Ronquillo YC, Hoopes PC. Controversy and Consideration of Refractive Surgery in Patients with Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue. J Clin Med 2021; 10:3769. [PMID: 34501218 PMCID: PMC8432249 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10173769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue (HDCTs) are syndromes that disrupt connective tissue integrity. They include Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Marfan Syndrome (MFS), Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (LDS), Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), Stickler Syndrome (STL), Wagner Syndrome, and Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (PXE). Because many patients with HDCTs have ocular symptoms, commonly myopia, they will often present to the clinic seeking refractive surgery. Currently, corrective measures are limited, as the FDA contraindicates laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in EDS and discourages the procedure in OI and MFS due to a theoretically increased risk of post-LASIK ectasia, poor wound healing, poor refractive predictability, underlying keratoconus, and globe rupture. While these disorders present with a wide range of ocular manifestations that are associated with an increased risk of post-LASIK complications (e.g., thinned corneas, ocular fragility, keratoconus, glaucoma, ectopia lentis, retinal detachment, angioid streaks, and ocular surface disease), their occurrence and severity are highly variable among patients. Therefore, an HDCT diagnosis should not warrant an immediate disqualification for refractive surgery. Patients with minimal ocular manifestations can consider LASIK. In contrast, those with preoperative signs of corneal thinning and ocular fragility may find the combination of collagen cross-linking (CXL) with either photorefractive keratotomy (PRK), small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) or a phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) implant to be more suitable options. However, evidence of refractive surgery performed on patients with HDCTs is limited, and surgeons must fully inform patients of the unknown risks and complications before proceeding. This paper serves as a guideline for future studies to evaluate refractive surgery outcomes in patients with HDCTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Moshirfar
- Hoopes Vision Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT 84020, USA; (B.P.); (Y.C.R.); (P.C.H.)
- John A. Moran Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
- Utah Lions Eye Bank, Murray, UT 84107, USA
| | - Matthew R. Barke
- McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Rachel Huynh
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA;
| | - Austin J. Waite
- A.T. Still University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, Mesa, AZ 85206, USA;
| | - Briana Ply
- Hoopes Vision Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT 84020, USA; (B.P.); (Y.C.R.); (P.C.H.)
| | - Yasmyne C. Ronquillo
- Hoopes Vision Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT 84020, USA; (B.P.); (Y.C.R.); (P.C.H.)
| | - Phillip C. Hoopes
- Hoopes Vision Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT 84020, USA; (B.P.); (Y.C.R.); (P.C.H.)
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John JN, Sid E, Zhu Q. Recurrent Neural Networks to Automatically Identify Rare Disease Epidemiologic Studies from PubMed. AMIA JOINT SUMMITS ON TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE PROCEEDINGS. AMIA JOINT SUMMITS ON TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 2021:325-334. [PMID: 34457147 PMCID: PMC8378621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Rare diseases affect between 25 and 30 million people in the United States, and understanding their epidemiology is critical to focusing research efforts. However, little is known about the prevalence of many rare diseases. Given a lack of automated tools, current methods to identify and collect epidemiological data are managed through manual curation. To accelerate this process systematically, we developed a novel predictive model to programmatically identify epidemiologic studies on rare diseases from PubMed. A long short-term memory recurrent neural network was developed to predict whether a PubMed abstract represents an epidemiologic study. Our model performed well on our validation set (precision = 0.846, recall = 0.937, AUC = 0.967), and obtained satisfying results on the test set. This model thus shows promise to accelerate the pace of epidemiologic data curation in rare diseases and could be extended for use in other types of studies and in other disease domains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric Sid
- Office of Rare Disease Research, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Qian Zhu
- Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, MD
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Gensemer C, Burks R, Kautz S, Judge DP, Lavallee M, Norris RA. Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndromes: Complex phenotypes, challenging diagnoses, and poorly understood causes. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:318-344. [PMID: 32629534 PMCID: PMC7785693 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of heritable, connective tissue disorders characterized by joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility, and tissue fragility. There is phenotypic and genetic variation among the 13 subtypes. The initial genetic findings on EDS were related to alterations in fibrillar collagen, but the elucidation of the molecular basis of many of the subtypes revealed several genes not involved in collagen biosynthesis or structure. However, the genetic basis of the hypermobile type of EDS (hEDS) is still unknown. hEDS is the most common type of EDS and involves generalized joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal manifestations, and mild skin involvement along with the presence of several comorbid conditions. Variability in the spectrum and severity of symptoms and progression of patient phenotype likely depend on age, gender, lifestyle, and expression domains of the EDS genes during development and postnatal life. In this review, we summarize the current molecular, genetic, epidemiologic, and pathogenetic findings related to EDS with a focus on the hypermobile type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cortney Gensemer
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Randall Burks
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Steven Kautz
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Daniel P. Judge
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Mark Lavallee
- Department of Family Medicine, Wellspan Health, York, Pennsylvania
| | - Russell A. Norris
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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Louie A, Meyerle C, Francomano C, Srikumaran D, Merali F, Doyle JJ, Bower K, Bloom L, Boland MV, Mahoney N, Daoud Y, Singman EL. Survey of Ehlers-Danlos Patients' ophthalmic surgery experiences. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2020; 8:e1155. [PMID: 31989797 PMCID: PMC7196452 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ehlers‒Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a rare disease affecting approximately 1 in 5,000 people. Although ophthalmic conditions associated with EDS have been described, little data exist concerning ophthalmic surgical outcomes experienced by EDS patients. Methods Patients with EDS were surveyed via the EDS Society and asked about their ophthalmic surgical experiences including procedure, complications, and the timing with respect to receiving the EDS diagnosis. Complications were confirmed as such by subspecialists. Results Of 579 respondents, 467 reported confirmed EDS, and 112 of those had an ophthalmic procedure, including refractive surgery, cataract/lens surgery, retinal surgery, strabismus surgery, oculoplastic surgery, corneal surgery, and laser surgery for glaucoma. The rate of confirmed complications was: 23%‐refractive, 33%‐lens/cataract, 33%‐retina, 59%‐strabismus, 23%‐ oculoplastics, 0%‐cornea, and 25%‐glaucoma laser. In addition, 76% of patients underwent surgery prior to the EDS diagnosis. Conclusions Patients with EDS may have elevated risk of postoperative ophthalmic surgical complications. It would seem reasonable to systemically and prospectively explore how patients with EDS respond to ophthalmic surgery. Furthermore, it would seem circumspect to ask surgical candidates patients about whether they carry a diagnosis of EDS or have signs and symptoms of EDS prior to surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Louie
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Clair Francomano
- Harvey Institute for Medical Genetics of Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Divya Srikumaran
- Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Farhan Merali
- Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Kraig Bower
- Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Michael V Boland
- Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicholas Mahoney
- Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yassine Daoud
- Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eric L Singman
- Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
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