A group of disorders of connective tissueThe various organs of the body are made up of different types of tissue, according to the function that the organ fulfils. Brain, bone, muscle, skin, lung and liver tissue all appear very different under the microscope but they all contain variable amounts of connective tissue, essentially holding the remaining tissue in place. Structures such as tendons and ligaments, which have a purely “holding together” function are made up almost entirely of connective tissue. Collagen and elastin are the principal forms of connective tissue. that have an hereditaryA condition is hereditary if it results from the individual’s genetic make-up, being inherited from one or both parents. basis and which can affect various body parts, including the skin, joints and blood vessels. The effects can be mild or severe and, as a result, several different varieties of Ehlers-Danlos syndromeA syndrome is a clearly recognisable combination of symptoms and signs, which indicate that one or more disease process is active, or has been active at some stage. More than one pathology can present as a single syndrome, for example Cushing’s syndrome being caused by an over-active pituitary gland, or an over-active adrenal gland, or due to steroids being taken by mouth over a long period of time. are described. Diagnosis is clinicalDerived from the Greek term for a bed, this word refers to activities, or diagnoses made on the basis of talking to and examining a patient. It should precede any special investigations, which are directed by the clinical findings. Latterly, the word has been adopted and distorted, in a rather curious way, by football commentators. in the first instance but there are genetic tests to confirm some varieties of the condition.