What to expect during the appointment
At appointments, the doctor may:
- Ask questions about family history or symptoms associated with XLH
- Recommend laboratory or genetic testing to help confirm a diagnosis
Sometimes, further testing is needed.
As a rare genetic condition, XLH is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and symptoms can continue to progress over time. There is a chance that more than one doctor is needed to get an accurate diagnosis. Testing for it is a multistep process. It can be helpful to conduct certain tests like those that measure the amount of phosphorus in your blood.
First, the doctor has to assess the signs and symptoms that may be experienced. Then, they have to understand the family history.
“Just knowing that there was an answer
and a reason why was probably the best
part of learning my diagnosis.” Emily, living with XLH
When children are evaluated for XLH:
If there is no family history of the condition, the appearance of bowed legs or knock knees may suggest that further testing is needed to determine if XLH is the cause.