Cerebellar involvement in midline facial defects with ocular hypertelorism

Investigation of the 22q11.2 candidate region in patients with midline facial defects with hypertelorism

Midline facial defects with hypertelorism (MFDH) are mainly characterized by ocular hypertelorism and bifid nose. They are often associated with structural and functional anomalies of the central nervous system similar to those found in 22q11.2 deletion syndromes. In addition, there are some isolated reports of MFDH and 22q11.2 deletion. These findings suggest that MFDH may be part of the spectrum of 22q11.2 deletion syndromes. To test this hypothesis, 10 individuals with MFDH were analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), but no 22q11.2 deletion was detected. In view of this result, the TBX1 gene located within the 22q11.2 candidate region was screened. A new sequence variant (1132GA) was identified in one patient. This variant was not found in 110 control individuals genotyped. Considering the rarity of this condition and results of this study, the involvement of the 22q11.2 chromosomal region in the pathogenesis of MFDH could not be excluded.

Malformations of Cortical Development in Patients with Midline Facial Defects and Ocular Hypertelorism

Objectives

We studied the neuroimaging and neurophysiological aspects of 17 patients with midline facial defects with ocular hypertelorism (MFDH).

Methods

The investigation protocol included a previous semistructured questionnaire about family history; gestational, neonatal, and postnatal development; and dysmorphologic and neurologic evaluation. Recognized monogenic disorders and individuals with other well-known conditions were excluded. All patients had high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) and routine electroencephalograms (EEGs).

Results

We detected abnormalities in five patients whose MRIs had been previously reported as normal. MRI showed central nervous system (CNS) structural abnormalities in all patients, which included commissural alterations in 16/17 (94%), malformations of cortical development in 10/17 (58%), disturbances of neural tube closure in 7/17 (42%), and posterior fossa anomalies in 6/17 (35%). Some patients had more than one type of malformation occurring at different stages of the embryonary process. EEGs showed epileptiform activity in 4/17 (24%) and background abnormalities in 5/17 (29%) of patients.

Conclusion

This study clearly demonstrated the presence of structural and functional neurologic alterations related to MFDH. Therefore, the CNS anomalies cannot be considered incidental findings but an intrinsic part of this condition, which could be related to environmental effects and/or genetic mutations. These findings would provide a basis for future investigations on MFDH and should also be considered when planning rehabilitation.