Counsel parents of a tall child referred for overgrowth assessment — OSCE

OSCE communication and shared-planning station: counselling the parents of a seven-year-old boy referred because he is the tallest in his class and has been flagged for overgrowth assessment, navigating the tension between the reassuring familial explanation (tall parents, well child) and the subtle features that may redirect toward a syndromic overgrowth disorder, explaining the assessment plan and the next steps in plain language, and managing the anxiety that the word 'syndrome' provokes.

osce communication and shared decision-making2 min readVerification in progress

Prompt

The parents of a seven-year-old boy have been referred by the school nurse because he is the tallest child in his year and she is concerned about his growth. The father is 193 cm and the mother 180 cm. The boy is well, bright, and socially a little awkward. His height is on the 99.6th centile. On examination he has a prominent forehead, a long narrow face, and large hands. The parents are anxious that something is wrong and have read online about overgrowth syndromes and cancer risk. They want to know whether their son needs genetic testing and whether he will develop a tumour.

Candidate brief

You have eight minutes to counsel the parents of a seven-year-old boy referred for tall stature and a possible overgrowth syndrome, navigating the tension between reassurance and appropriate investigation. Use a structured, honest, empathic approach that acknowledges the parents' anxiety, builds a shared assessment plan, and explains the next steps in plain language. ^[6] ^[8]

References4Show

[1]Ocansey S, Cole TRP, Rahman N, et al. Sotos Syndrome. GeneReviews, 1993.PMID 20301652
[6]Caro R, Savel P, Moss PI. Evaluation of Short and Tall Stature in Children. Am Fam Physician, 2025.PMID 40531152
[8]Tatton-Brown K, Loveday C, Yost S, et al. Mutations in Epigenetic Regulation Genes Are a Major Cause of Overgrowth with Intellectual Disability. Am J Hum Genet, 2017.PMID 28475857
[9]Maas SM, Vansenne F, Kadouch DJ, et al. Phenotype, cancer risk, and surveillance in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome depending on molecular genetic subgroups. Am J Med Genet A, 2016.PMID 27419809

Counsel parents of a tall child referred for overgrowth assessment — OSCE

osce communication and shared decision-making2 min readVerification in progress

Candidate brief

References4Show

[1]Ocansey S, Cole TRP, Rahman N, et al. Sotos Syndrome. GeneReviews, 1993.PMID 20301652
[6]Caro R, Savel P, Moss PI. Evaluation of Short and Tall Stature in Children. Am Fam Physician, 2025.PMID 40531152
[8]Tatton-Brown K, Loveday C, Yost S, et al. Mutations in Epigenetic Regulation Genes Are a Major Cause of Overgrowth with Intellectual Disability. Am J Hum Genet, 2017.PMID 28475857
[9]Maas SM, Vansenne F, Kadouch DJ, et al. Phenotype, cancer risk, and surveillance in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome depending on molecular genetic subgroups. Am J Med Genet A, 2016.PMID 27419809