Familial 5q12.3 Microdeletion: Evidence for a Locus Associated with Epilepsy

The clinical use of array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) has allowed the identification of very rare deletion and duplication disorders, such as 5q12 deletion syndrome (OMIM 615668) described as a contiguous gene deletion syndrome of chromosome 5q12. Chromosome microdeletions including band 5q12 have rarely been reported and have been associated with different phenotypes showing postnatal growth restriction, intellectual disability, epileptic seizures, hyperactivity, and ocular abnormalities. In this study, we describe a family in which array-CGH analysis revealed the presence of an interstitial microdeletion spanning approximately 2.9 Mb in the 5q12 region. The microdeletion is associated with epilepsy in the father and 2 siblings (a boy and a girl). So far, this is the first report in which a familial microdeletion 5q12 manifests in epilepsy. We suggest that this familial microdeletion could delineate a locus for susceptibility to epilepsy.