Prenatal presentation of Mabry syndrome with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and phenotypic overlap with Fryns syndrome.

We report on a family in which initial features were compatible with Fryns syndrome. The first sibling was a stillborn female with a left diaphragmatic hernia (DH). Her clinical features overlapped with Fryns syndrome. The second pregnancy, a male fetus, was followed for polyhydramnios, hypoplastic mandible, mild enlargement of the fetal bladder, hydronephrosis, and rocker bottom foot deformities. He had facial features similar to his sibling and a large cleft of the secondary palate, small jaw, and secundum atrial septal defect. He underwent surgical repair of imperforate anus, intestinal malrotation, and placement of mucous fistula for biopsy positive Hirschsprung disease. An elevated alkaline phosphatase level of 1569 U/L was reported. Whole exome sequencing performed on the second child demonstrated compound heterozygosity for the PIGV gene with the p.A341E and p.A418D variants in trans. Hyperphosphatasia with mental retardation syndrome (HPMRS) is caused by mutations in PIGV and includes hyperphosphatasia as a diagnostic hallmark. Our patient exhibited hyperphosphatasia but without any storage material in his skin cells. His features remain similar to his sister's, but includes seizures and lacks diaphragmatic hernia. Until now, HPMRS and Fryns syndrome, despite overlapping features, were considered mutually exclusive as HPMRS involves hyperphosphatasia and Fryns typically exhibits DH. Recent identification of PIGN mutations associated with several cases of Fryns syndrome point to a common pathogenetic etiology involving inborn errors of the glycosylphosphatidylinositiol anchor biosynthetic pathway. A diagnosis of HPMRS should be considered when DH is encountered on prenatal ultrasound.

Extreme values of maternal serum analytes in second trimester screening: looking beyond trisomy and NTD's.

Second trimester maternal serum screening can identify high risk pregnancies and fetuses at risk for birth defects (in addition to those in the standard interpretation). The purpose of this study was to quantify such risks to improve counseling. We compared outcomes of 692 pregnancies that had abnormal levels of at least one analyte with a cohort of 713 pregnancies with normal analytes. Increased risks include: demise with high AFP and low uE3; intrauterine growth restriction with high AFP, high and low hCG, and low uE3; placental abnormalities with high AFP; fetal stress with high AFP and high hCG. Birth defects are increased with high AFP, high hCG, and low hCG. When two or more analytes are abnormal, 46% have a poor outcome. Abnormal levels of maternal serum analytes provide information in addition to the risks for neural tube defects, Down syndrome, and trisomy 18. This information is important for counseling and pregnancy management.

Partial hexasomy for the Prader-Willi-Angelman syndrome critical region due to a maternally inherited large supernumerary marker chromosome.

Extra copies of the Prader-Willi-Angelman syndrome critical region (PWASCR) have been shown to have detrimental phenotypic effects depending on the parent of origin. Hexasomy for the PWASCR is rare; only 6 cases have been described to date. We report on a 15-year-old girl referred for developmental delay and seizures with a mosaic tricentric small marker chromosome (SMC) 15 identified by routine G-banding chromosome studies. C-banding and FISH confirmed the presence of three chromosome 15 centromeres as well as four copies of the PWASCR on the SMC in approximately 60% of interphase cells. Microsatellite genotyping documented maternal inheritance of the SMC, and methylation-sensitive multiplex ligation-dependent PCR amplification (MS-MLPA) showed that the extra copies of the PWASCR contained on the marker chromosome bear a methylation pattern similar to a normal maternal chromosome, implying maternal inheritance. These findings are consistent with the patient's phenotype as paternal inheritance of such a marker chromosome is thought to be benign. However, this patient's phenotype is the mildest described to date and may be a result of mosaicism for the SMC.

Ovarian failure and dilated cardiomyopathy due to a novel lamin mutation.

Two unrelated young women presented with similar dysmorphic features including severe retrognathia, beaked nose, narrow chest, sloping shoulders, and an acrogeric appearance of the hands and feet. Neither had any evidence of skeletal myopathy, but both developed progressive dilated cardiomyopathy, both experienced premature ovarian failure, and both were found to have the same heterozygous novel missense mutation c.176T>G in exon 1 of the LMNA gene, resulting in a leucine to arginine change at codon 59 (Leu59Arg). Mutations in the LMNA gene cause a variety of disorders including dilated cardiomyopathy, muscular dystrophy, familial lipodystrophy, progeria, atypical progeroid syndromes, and mandibuloacral dysplasia. Genotype-phenotype correlation has been reported for some of these conditions. Our patients are the only ones known to have the specific mutation Leu59Arg and also share a set of features not entirely consistent with any of the laminopathies previously described. A previously reported patient with an adjacent mutation (Ala57Pro) had "atypical Werner syndrome" with dilated cardiomyopathy, hypogonadism, and sloping shoulders. While each of these clinical features does occur in other laminopathy syndromes, these patients form a phenotypic cluster distinct from other laminopathies and clinically overlapping with Malouf syndrome. LMNA sequencing should be considered for patients presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, including those previously diagnosed with Malouf syndrome.

Clinical genetics provider real-time workflow study.

PURPOSE: Our work is the first documentation, in real time, of workflow in a general genetics department including data on patient care, research, and other activities for both clinical geneticists and genetic counselors. METHODS: All physician geneticists and genetic counselors in the medical genetics department used an electronic tool to record their activities in 15 minute increments during clinic hours, evenings, and weekends over a 10-week period. RESULTS: The average work week was 54.1 hours for physicians and 43.5 hours for genetic counselors. During clinic hours physicians spent about one-fourth of their time on direct patient care, one-fourth on other patient-related activities, one-fourth on research unrelated to individual patient care, and the remaining fourth on all other activities. However, after hours and on weekends they spent most of their time on research. Genetic counselors spent half of their time on patient-related activities, one-fourth on direct patient care, and the remainder on all other activities. The total professional time averaged 7 hours per new patient and 3.5 hours per follow-up with nearly 60% of this time devoted to patient-related activities. CONCLUSIONS: The labor intensive nature of clinical genetics, the large amount of time devoted to patient-related activities, and continuing limitations on billing by genetic counselors all contribute to the financial challenges faced by genetics departments.