Objective: To report on prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with Miller-Dieker syndrome (MDS) and explore its genotype - phenotype correlation.
Methods: Chromosome karyotyping, bacterial artificial chromosome on beads (BACs-on-Beads, BoBs), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and single nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP array) were applied in conjunction for the prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with abnormal ultrasound findings.
Results: A 17p13.3 microdeletion was detected with the BoBs assay, and the result was confirmed by FISH. With the SNP array, the deletion was mapped to chromosome 17, with its range determined to be 5.2 Mb. On high-resolution banding analysis and BoB assay, the deletion was not found in either parent.
Conclusion: The combined use of BoBs, FISH and SNP array has enabled prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with MDS. Attention should be paid to microdeletions and microduplications which can be missed by conventional chromosomal karyotyping analysis.