Clinical and molecular aspects of PTEN mutations in 10 pediatric patients

PTEN gene mutations are responsible for the PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS). In this study, clinical and molecular findings of patients carrying PTEN mutations are presented. Our aim is to contribute to genotype-phenotype correlation and define the most common findings of the syndrome in pediatric patients.

Ten molecularly confirmed PHTS patients from seven families were included in the study. All patients were examined by a clinical geneticist. Laboratory test results were obtained from hospital records. Sequencing of PTEN gene was performed. Variant interpretation was done in accordance with 2015 recommendations from the American College of Medical Genetics.

Macrocephaly was the most common clinical finding, involving all patients. This was followed by skin lesions, neurodevelopmental delay, and pathologic cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings. Seven different heterozygous PTEN gene variants were found in seven families. Four of these were located in exon 5, which has been described as a hot spot area for the PTEN gene. Four mutations were novel. A wide range of phenotypic and genotypic spectra was found in our study group.

Screening of PTEN mutations in patients with macrocephaly is recommended due to an increased risk of cancer. Further cases are needed to make a phenotype-genotype correlation in PHTS.