Capitalization of "Syndrome" in Loeys-Dietz Syndrome
No, the "s" in "syndrome" should NOT be capitalized when writing "Loeys-Dietz syndrome."
Standard Medical Nomenclature
The proper medical writing convention is to capitalize only the eponymous portion of disease names (the names of the people after whom the condition is named), while keeping generic medical terms like "syndrome," "disease," or "disorder" in lowercase 1, 2, 1.
Throughout all the authoritative medical literature, including:
- The 2022 ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease published in Circulation 1
- The 2010 ACCF/AHA Guidelines 2
- The 2016 AHA Scientific Statement on Cardiovascular Genetics 3
The condition is consistently written as "Loeys-Dietz syndrome" with lowercase "s" in syndrome.
Why This Matters
This follows the same pattern as other eponymous medical conditions:
- Marfan syndrome (not Marfan Syndrome)
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (not Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome)
- Turner syndrome (not Turner Syndrome)
The eponyms "Loeys" and "Dietz" are capitalized because they are proper names of the physicians who first described the condition, while "syndrome" remains lowercase as it is a common medical descriptor.
This standardized approach to medical nomenclature ensures consistency across medical literature, clinical documentation, and professional communication.