Early-onset epileptic encephalopathy as the initial clinical presentation of WDR45 deletion in a male patient

Eur J Hum Genet. 2016 Apr;24(4):615-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.159. Epub 2015 Jul 15.

Abstract

Variants in the WD repeat 45 (WDR45) gene in human Xp11.23 have recently been identified in patients suffering from neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation, a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous condition. WDR45 variants cause a childhood-onset encephalopathy accompanied by neurodegeneration in adulthood and iron accumulation in the basal ganglia. They have been almost exclusively found in females, and male lethality was suggested. Here we describe a male patient suffering from a severe and early neurological phenotype, initially presenting early-onset epileptic spasms in clusters associated with an abnormal interictal electroencephalography showing slow background activity, large amplitude asynchronous spikes and abnormal neurological development. This patient is a carrier of a 19.9-kb microdeletion in Xp11.23 containing three genes, including WDR45. These findings reveal that males with WDR45 deletions are viable, and can present with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy without brain iron accumulation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Chromosomes, Human, X / genetics
  • Gene Deletion*
  • Genetic Diseases, X-Linked / diagnosis
  • Genetic Diseases, X-Linked / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Neuroaxonal Dystrophies / diagnosis
  • Neuroaxonal Dystrophies / genetics*
  • Seizures / diagnosis
  • Seizures / genetics*

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • WDR45 protein, human