Type 1 early infantile epileptic encephalopathy: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Background Variants in the Aristaless‐related homeobox (ARX) gene lead to a variety of phenotypes, with intellectual disability being a steady feature. Other features can include severe epilepsy, spasticity, movement disorders, hydranencephaly, and ambiguous genitalia in males. X‐linked Ohtahara syndrome or Type 1 early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE1) is a severe early‐onset epileptic encephalopathy with arrested psychomotor development caused by hemizygous mutations in the ARX gene, which encodes a transcription factor in fundamental brain developmental processes. Methods We presented a case report of a 2‐year‐old boy who exhibited symptoms such as microcephaly, seizures, and severe multifocal epileptic abnormalities, and genetic techniques such as autozygosity mapping, Sanger sequencing, and whole‐exome sequencing. Results We confirmed that the patient had the NM_139058.3:c.84C>A; p.(Cys28Ter) mutation in the ARX gene. Conclusion The patient with EIEE1 had physical symptoms and hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalogram. Genetic testing identified a causative mutation in the ARX gene, emphasizing the role of genetic testing in EIEE diagnosis.

Keywords

• Aristaless‐related homeobox
• ARX
• early infantile epileptic encephalopathy
• EIEE1
• Ohtahara syndrome