Early fetal presentation of Koolen-de Vries: Case report with literature review

Eur J Med Genet. 2017 Nov;60(11):605-609. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2017.08.012. Epub 2017 Aug 12.

Abstract

Koolen-de Vries syndrome (MIM#610443) is a rare microdeletion syndrome involving the 17q21.31 region, which was first described by Koolen in 2006. Clinical and behavioral characteristics have been extensively reported from more than 100 postnatal cases including infants, children and young adults. The syndrome is highly clinically heterogeneous, but the main features associate characteristic cranio-facial dysmorphism, heart defects, limb, skeletal, genito-urinary anomalies, along with intellectual disability with early childhood epilepsy and behavioral disturbances. Central nervous system malformations usually consist in hydrocephalus and thin corpus callosum. We report herein an early fetal case with an apparently isolated abnormal corpus callosum diagnosed by ultrasonography, for which a medical termination of the pregnancy was achieved at 22 weeks of gestation. Postmortem examination displayed facial dysmorphism consisting of hypertelorism, short philtrum and flat and broad nose, cleft palate and left duplex ureter. Neuropathological examination revealed a mega corpus callosum that has never been reported so far in this syndrome. Array-CGH performed on thymic DNA tissue revealed a 17q21.31 microdeletion, which allowed for the confirmation of early occurring Koolen-de Vries syndrome.

Keywords: 17q21.31 deletion; Cytogenetics; Koolen-de Vries syndrome; Mega corpus callosum; Neuropathology; Prenatal array-CGH.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abnormalities, Multiple / diagnostic imaging
  • Abnormalities, Multiple / genetics*
  • Abnormalities, Multiple / pathology
  • Adult
  • Chromosome Deletion
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / genetics
  • Corpus Callosum / diagnostic imaging
  • Corpus Callosum / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intellectual Disability / diagnostic imaging
  • Intellectual Disability / genetics*
  • Intellectual Disability / pathology
  • Phenotype*
  • Pregnancy
  • Ultrasonography, Prenatal

Supplementary concepts

  • Chromosome 17q21.31 Deletion Syndrome