Trisomy 15 mosaicism and uniparental disomy (UPD) in a liveborn infant

We describe a liveborn infant with uniparental disomy (UPD) with trisomy 15 mosaicism. Third trimester amniocentesis yielded a 46,XX/47,XX,+15 karyotype. Symmetrical growth retardation, distinct craniofacies, congenital heart disease, severe hypotonia and minor skeletal anomalies were noted. The infant died at 6 weeks of life. Peripheral lymphocyte chromosomes were "normal" 46,XX in 100 cells. Parental lymphocyte chromosomes were normal. Skin biopsy showed 47,XX,+15 in 80% of fibroblasts and results were equivalent in fibroblasts from autopsy lung tissue. Molecular analysis revealed maternal uniparental heterodisomy for chromosome 15 in the 46,XX cell line. We describe an emerging phenotype of trisomy 15 mosaicism, confirm that more than one tissue should be studied in all cases of suspected mosaicism, and suggest that UPD be considered in all such cases.