Clinical manifestation and genetic analysis of a child with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 42

OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic characterization of a child with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy. METHODS The proband was subjected to history taking and was diagnosed based on his clinical manifestation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and whole exome sequencing (WES). Sanger sequencing was carried out to determine the origin of pathogenic variant. RESULTS The proband unconsciously tilts his head to one side with squint, which revealed an abnormal discharge. MRI indicated suspicious abnormal signal shadow in the left posterior frontal cortex in addition with inflammation signs in the right maxillary sinus and ethmoid sinus. WES revealed that the proband has carried a heterozygous c.5789G>A variant in the CACNAIA gene. The result of Sanger sequencing was in keeping with that of WES. Neither of his parents has carried the same variant. CONCLUSION The heterozygous c.5789G>A variant of the CACNAIA gene probably underlay the early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 42 in the proband, which has a de novo origin.