Genetic Syndromes & Genetics
Sequence (in dysmorphology)
A sequence is a pattern of features that all stem from a single initial event during development.
In short: Sequence (in dysmorphology)
- Amniotic band sequence is an example.
- It differs from a syndrome, which has a single underlying cause affecting features independently.
- The features arise from one initiating problem in a chain.
- The term helps clarify how findings are related.
What it is
It is a pattern of features that all result from a single initiating event, which then leads to a cascade of downstream effects. The features are connected because they trace back to one starting problem.
Understanding Sequence (in dysmorphology)
It differs from a syndrome: in a sequence, one initial event sets off a chain that produces the other features, whereas in a syndrome a single underlying cause produces multiple features more independently. Amniotic band sequence is an example, where the bands' disruption is the initiating event. Understanding this distinction helps clarify how a set of findings is related.
Why it matters
Understanding the concept of a sequence helps families see how clinicians think about the relationship between findings, which can affect how cause and recurrence risk are understood.
Common questions
What is a sequence?
A pattern of features from a single initiating event.
How is it different from a syndrome?
A sequence stems from one initiating event; a syndrome from a single underlying cause affecting features more independently.
What is an example?
Amniotic band sequence.
Bottom line
A sequence is a pattern of features stemming from one initiating event, as in amniotic band sequence.
Browse all 265 Encephalocele definitions
Read the Encephalocele patient guides
Not sure which page you need? Put words to it with the symptom navigator