Did Robert Louis Stevenson have hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia?

Chronic illness played a major role in the life and literary success of Rob ert Louis Stevenson. However, the exact nature of his chronic illness remai ns unclear. It is possible that Stevenson had hereditary hemorrhagic telang iectasia (Osler-Rendu-Weber Syndrome). This would explain his chronic respi ratory complaints, recurrent episodes of pulmonary hemorrhage, and his deat h, at age 44 years, of probable cerebral hemorrhage. It would also explain his mother's hitherto unreported but apparent stroke, at age 38 years. Furt her support for this hypothesis might come from new details about the healt h of Stevenson and his relatives or from molecular analysis of tissue speci mens remaining from. him. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.