Article Text
Abstract
A 4-year-old girl was referred to the geneticist with a history of ataxia associated with intention tremor of the hands, strabismus and hypermetropy. Her symptoms presented about 2 years earlier with inability to walk unaided and lower limbs hypotonia. Cognitive functions were normal. Brain MRI showed a cerebellar and vermian hypoplasia with enlargement of both the cerebrospinal fluid spaces and the IV brain ventricle. Family history was unremarkable. A genetic screening using a 42-gene panel for hereditary ataxia/spastic paraparesis identified a de novo c.1438C>T - p.(Arg480Trp) missense change in the SPTBN2 gene (NM_006946.2). This variant is reported to be associated with congenital ataxia, later evolving into ataxia and intellectual disability. This case further supports the existence of a specific SPTBN2 p.(Arg480Trp)-associated phenotype, with a de novo recurrence of this variant in the heterozygous state.
- genetics
- brain stem / cerebellum
- neuro genetics
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Footnotes
Contributors PD performed the laboratory experiments. AZ collected and interpreted clinical data. A Brussino and A Brusco analysed data and prepared the manuscript. All authors revised and approved the manuscript.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Parental/guardian consent obtained.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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