Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome in a newborn infant with developmental abnormalities and low endogenous cholesterol

Background: Patients with Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS) have defective endogenous cholesterol synthesis, and present with decreased cholesterol levels and multiple developmental dysmorphologies.

Case description: A newborn infant with normal XY karyotype and normal microarray was born with multiple developmental defects and ambiguous genitalia. The patient was diagnosed with SLOS, following biochemical genetic analysis of serum 7-DHC concentrations. The clinical course of the patient was further complicated by the comorbidities associated with SLOS and the bacterial infections.

Conclusion: We provide a detailed biochemical profile of the SLOS patient. The report can help us further understand the pathological impacts of cholesterol synthesis deficiency and provide relevant clinical management with outcome of this rare genetic disorder.