ESPE Abstracts

It is important that any child or adolescent with a suspected difference or disorder of sex development (DSD) is assessed by an experienced clinician with adequate knowledge about the range of conditions associated with DSD. In most cases, the paediatric endocrinologist within this service acts as the first point of contact but involvement of the regional multidisciplinary service is critical. The members of this service should be involved in education and training as well as quality care improvement. The underlying pathophysiology of DSD and the process of delineating this should be discussed with the parents and affected young person with all diagnostic tests undertaken in a timely fashion. Finally, for rare conditions such as these, it is imperative that clinical experience is shared through national and international clinical and research collaborations.