Objective: To detect chromosomal aberrations in a child with developmental delay and speech and language disorders in order to explore the underlying genetic causes of congenital malformation, and to investigate the feasibility of array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) for molecular genetic diagnosis.
Methods: G-banding and array-CGH were applied to characterize the genetic abnormality in the three family members.
Results: G-banding analysis revealed the affected child and the healthy mother are both carriers of inv(9)(p13q13), while the child has carried a chromosome fragment derived from chromosome 13. Array-CGH analysis indicated the derivative chromosome fragment has originated from 9p with breakpoints at around 9p13.1-p24.3.
Conclusion: Trisomy 9p13.1-p24.3 may be the cause of congenital malformation in the child. For its high resolution and high accuracy, array-CGH is a powerful tool for genetic analysis.