What Is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome?
6. Diagnosis
Diagnosing the subtype of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is important for formulating an appropriate treatment plan. Therefore, your doctor will probably first assess your symptoms and then match them against the criteria for the 13 different subtypes of EDS to determine which your condition matches most closely. To confirm the diagnosis and to rule out other connective tissue disorders, your doctor may also perform genetic testing to identify any defects in your DNA.
Not all subtypes of EDS can be confirmed through genetic testing, however. For example, hypermobile EDS is a common subtype for which the genetic cause has not yet been identified. Because it cannot be confirmed through genetic testing, your doctor should be careful not to assign you a diagnosis of hypermobile EDS unless you exhibit all the criteria.
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