Background: Agnathia otocephaly is a rare craniofacial malformation complex characterised by absent/hypoplastic mandible, abnormally positioned ears meeting at level of neck. Besides mutations in two genes, PRRX1 and OTX2, a teratogenic cause has been suggested. A higher risk of congenital malformations has been associated with paternal work in mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's part of the Copperbelt.
Case: We studied a female neonate with a clinical diagnosis of agnathia otocephaly, stillborn in Lubumbashi in 2019. The child's father had been working as an artisanal mineworker at the time of conception.
Results: Genetic analysis did not reveal a causal mutation. The concentrations of cobalt, arsenic cadmium, and uranium in cord blood of the infant were much higher than those of normal neonates from a previous study.
Conclusion: In the absence of identified genetic causes, we hypothesize this case of agnathia otocephaly was related to an exogenous cause, possibly the father's mining-related job.
Keywords: DNA replication; Katanga; agnathia-otocephaly; epigenetic; metals-mining.
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