Atypical presentation of Angelman syndrome with intact expressive language due to low‐level mosaicism

Abstract Background Angelman syndrome (AS) occurs due to a lack of expression or function of the maternally inherited UBE3A gene. Individuals with AS typically have significant developmental delay, severe speech impairment with absent to minimal verbal language, gait abnormalities including ataxia,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ruchi Punatar, Alena Egense, Rong Mao, Melinda Procter, Michelle Bosworth, Denise I. Quigley, Kathleen Angkustsiri, Suma P. Shankar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-10-01
Series:Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/mgg3.2018
Description
Summary:Abstract Background Angelman syndrome (AS) occurs due to a lack of expression or function of the maternally inherited UBE3A gene. Individuals with AS typically have significant developmental delay, severe speech impairment with absent to minimal verbal language, gait abnormalities including ataxia, and an incongruous happy demeanor. The majority of individuals with AS also have seizures and microcephaly. Some individuals with mosaic AS have been reported to have expressive language and milder levels of developmental delay. Case Report We report a male patient presenting with mild to moderate intellectual disability, hyperphagia, obesity, and the ability to communicate verbally. His phenotype was suggestive of Prader‐Willi syndrome. However, methylation testing was positive for Angelman syndrome and additional methylation specific multiplex ligation‐dependent amplification (MS‐MLPA) study revealed low‐level mosaicism for AS. Conclusion A broader phenotypic spectrum should be considered for AS as patients with atypical presentations may otherwise elude diagnosis.
ISSN:2324-9269