The membrane lining the brain and the spinal cord is called the dura. Someone with Marfan syndrome faces a much higher risk of sustaining damage to the membrane, which can cause an illness known as dural ectasia. When this layer weakens, it expands and starts to put pressure on the vertebrae of the lower back. This pressure quickly causes a serious backache, and it also leads to headaches as well as numbness or pain in the legs.

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