Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect connective tissue, the tissue that binds and supports the body's muscles, ligaments, organs, and skin. The vascular type is considered one of the most serious forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome because blood vessels and organs are prone to tearing (rupture). This condition was formerly called type IV or the arterial type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, vascular type is a subtype of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. People with the disorder have thin, fragile skin that bruises easily. Veins are visible beneath the skin, particularly on the chest and abdomen, and hands and feet may have an aged appearance. Unlike people with other forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, people with the vascular type have skin that is soft but not overly stretchy. Facial features are often distinctive, including protruding eyes, a thin nose and lips, sunken cheeks, and a small chin. Other signs of the disorder include an unusually large range of movement (hypermobility) of hand and foot joints, tearing of tendons and muscles, painfully swollen veins in the legs, lung collapse, and slow wound healing following injury or surgery. Infants with the condition may be born with hip dislocations and a foot disorder called clubfoot, which causes the foot to turn inward and downward. Unpredictable ruptures of arteries and organs are the most serious complications of vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. A torn artery can cause internal bleeding, stroke, or shock, and is the most common cause of death in patients with this disorder. Rupture of the intestine is seen in 25 to 30 percent of affected individuals and tearing of the uterus (womb) during pregnancy affects 2 to 3 percent of women. Although serious problems are rare in childhood, more than 80 percent of patients experience severe complications by the age of 40.