To log on to the DDS or to Apply for an account please click here.
The Dysmorphology Diagnostic System (DDS) enables clinicians with difficult to diagnose dysmorphic patients to submit case details for review by a panel of European dysmorphology Experts. The DDS Expert Panel review medical case histories submitted to the DDS, and provide recommendations and opinions on possible diagnoses, and may suggest further investigations and/or management strategies.
Important Note:
We are sorry but DYSCERNE is unable to provide advice to, or accept referrals directly from patients or their families. Instead, please contact your local family doctor or Genetics Service.
Cases are submitted to the DDS by institutions designated as Submitting Nodes. Initially, only a limited number of Submitting Nodes will be licensed to submit cases to DDS.
In the future it is hoped that we will be able to increase the number of Submitting Nodes. If your institution would be interested in becoming a DDS Submitting Node please contact us at the DYSCERNE Coordinating centre.
Case Submission
Cases are submitted to the DDS by Submitting Nodes using an on-line case submission form. The case submission form is available here to download.
All cases submitted to the DDS must have the appropriate informed patient consent. Please download the Patient Information and Consent leaflet for full details. Cases without the appropriate consent will not be accepted.
For the DDS Expert Panel to give an accurate opinion they need details of a patient’s medical history, examination findings, results of any investigations or specialist opinions and clinical photographs.
Good quality photographs are important. Images should be in focus and relevant to the case. As the appearance of some syndromes can change as the patient ages, photographs of the subject at different ages may be useful. Photographs can be uploaded to the DDS site during the case submission process.
To facilitate storage and retrieval of patient data, we ask that the patient’s most distinctive features are described using the Winter-Baraitser Database terminology (WBDB, www.lmdatabases.com). A list of these terms will be available soon on the Educational Resources page.
After a medical history has been submitted to the DDS, the DDS Co-ordinating Centre checks the submission to make sure it is suitable for the DDS.
There is more information on the process of submitting a case to the DDS in the Clinician’s Information leaflet.
Expert Review
After a case has been accepted onto the DDS the patient’s anonymised medical history and photographs are reviewed by the DDS Expert Panel.
The members of the DDS Expert Panel send their recommendations and opinions on possible diagnoses using an electronic form to the DDS Co-ordinating Centre.
The DDS Co-ordinating Centre collates the opinions of the Expert Panel into a summary report (the DYSCERNE Expert Case Report) which is made available to the case submitter.