Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) in a child with a Jagged 1 variant identified on genetic testing

Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a heritable retinal vascular disease characterized by incomplete vascularization of the peripheral retina resulting in ischemia. Fifty percent of FEVR cases 10 are due to known pathogenic genetic variants, and disease phenotype can vary greatly. FEVR is a clinical diagnosis, however, genetic testing can play a key role in screening for FEVR in genetically susceptible populations, thus leading to early treatment and improved patient outcomes.

A 2-year-old male with no known past ocular or medical history was diagnosed with FEVR upon examination under anesthesia and multimodal retinal imaging. Genetic testing identified a Jagged 1 (JAG1) variant of uncertain significance, 15 which has been linked to FEVR in recent studies. Despite close follow-up and treatment, the patient experienced a funnel retinal detachment in the right eye approximately one year after diagnosis.

This case in conjunction with recent literature suggests that JAG1 variants are likely associated with FEVR. Further investigations are necessary to identify the frequency of JAG1 variants among patients with FEVR. Robust understanding of FEVR's heterogenous genetic profile will lead to improved treatment modalities 20 and patient outcomes.