De novo pathogenic DNM1L variant in a patient diagnosed with atypical hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy

Profiling the entire genome at base pair resolution in a single test offers novel insights into disease by means of dissection of genetic contributors to phenotypic features.

We performed genome sequencing for a patient who presented with atypical hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, severe epileptic encephalopathy, global developmental delay, and growth hormone deficiency.

Assessment of the variants detected by mapped sequencing reads followed by Sanger confirmation revealed that the proband is a compound heterozygote for rare variants within RETREG1 (FAM134B), a gene associated with a recessive form of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, but not with epileptic encephalopathy or global developmental delay. Further analysis of the data also revealed a heterozygous missense variant in DNM1L, a gene previously implicated in an autosomal dominant encephalopathy, epilepsy, and global developmental delay and confirmed by Sanger sequencing to be a de novo variant not present in parental genomes.

Our findings emphasize the importance of genome-wide sequencing in patients with a well-characterized genetic disease with atypical presentation. This approach reduces the potential for misdiagnoses.