Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome

Diagnosing Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) can be difficult for many physicians simply because it’s such a rare condition. Our specialists at the Vascular Anomalies Center at Children’s Hospital Boston can easily identify KTS — and begin treatment to help your child get better.

How is KTS diagnosed?

Doctors can sometimes see evidence of KTS in a prenatal ultrasound and the capillary malformation (sometimes called a “port-wine stain”) is almost always apparent when your child is born.

If your child is older, we’ll start with a complete medical history and a thorough physical exam. In many cases, that initial exam gives us enough information to diagnose KTS. If there’s any doubt, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following imaging tests, which can help determine the correct diagnosis and the appropriate next steps in treatment:

• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — This high-resolution scan shows the extent of the hypertrophy of tissue and gives your doctor information about what problems it may be causing.

• ultrasound (also called ultrasonography) — An ultrasound helps your doctor see your child’s deep venous system to examine abnormalities.

• computerized tomography scan (also called a CT or CAT scan) – A CT scan shows detailed images of the area affected by KTS.

After we complete all necessary tests, our experts meet to review and discuss what they have learned about your child's condition. Then we will meet with you and your family to discuss the results and outline the best treatment options.