Differentiation of MISSLA and Fanconi anaemia by computer-aided image analysis and presentation of two novel MISSLA siblings

Eur J Hum Genet. 2019 Dec;27(12):1827-1835. doi: 10.1038/s41431-019-0469-3. Epub 2019 Jul 18.

Abstract

Variants in DONSON were recently identified as the cause of microcephaly, short stature, and limb abnormalities syndrome (MISSLA). The clinical spectra of MISSLA and Fanconi anaemia (FA) strongly overlap. For that reason, some MISSLA patients have been clinically diagnosed with FA. Here, we present the clinical data of siblings with MISSLA featuring a novel DONSON variant and summarize the current literature on MISSLA. Additionally, we perform computer-aided image analysis using the DeepGestalt technology to test how distinct the facial features of MISSLA and FA patients are. We show that MISSLA has a specific facial gestalt. Notably, we find that also FA patients feature facial characteristics recognizable by computer-aided image analysis. We conclude that computer-assisted image analysis improves diagnostic precision in both MISSLA and FA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abnormalities, Multiple / diagnosis
  • Abnormalities, Multiple / diagnostic imaging
  • Abnormalities, Multiple / genetics
  • Abnormalities, Multiple / pathology
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
  • Dwarfism / diagnosis
  • Dwarfism / diagnostic imaging
  • Dwarfism / genetics*
  • Dwarfism / pathology
  • Fanconi Anemia / diagnosis
  • Fanconi Anemia / diagnostic imaging
  • Fanconi Anemia / genetics*
  • Fanconi Anemia / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Microcephaly / diagnosis
  • Microcephaly / diagnostic imaging
  • Microcephaly / genetics*
  • Microcephaly / pathology
  • Mutation
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • Phenotype
  • Siblings

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DONSON protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins