EPHA4 Genetic Variant in a Patient with Epilepsy, Ophthalmological Anomalies, and Neurodevelopmental Delay

Abstract

We present the findings of a Whole Exome Sequencing in a 2-year-old boy, conceived via In Vitro Fertilization with donor sperm, who suffers from an undiagnosed neurological syndrome. The following heterozygous variant in the EPHA4 gene was identified and classified as likely pathogenic: c.1655_1656, p.(Ser552CysfsTer23). Subsequent segregation analysis showed that the variant was not inherited from the mother and the sperm donor is not accessible for genetic testing. The presented results can further expand upon the genetic variants considered when diagnosing complex neurological syndromes and shows the importance of access to biological samples from donor banks in genetically ambiguous cases.

Keywords

• epha4
• whole exome sequencing
• epilepsy
• novel genetic variant
• ophthalmological anomalies
• neurodevelopmental delay