Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency in an infant / 中华围产医学杂志

This study reported the diagnosis and treatment of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency (PORD) in a male infant. The patient was admitted to Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University at the age of 38 days due to nasal obstruction and feeding difficulties presented at 10 d after birth, as well as less weight gain. Physical examination showed craniosynostoses, hand and foot deformities, and normal external genitalia. Laboratory examination revealed mildly elevated serum adrenocorticotrophic hormone and decreased level of baseline cortisol. A homozygous mutation of c.1370G>A(p.R457H) in POR gene was detected by whole-exome sequencing, which confirmed the diagnosis of PORD. Skeletal deformities complicated by external genital malformations and/or adrenocortical hormone abnormalities are important diagnostic indicators for PORD.

Two cases of Antley-Bixler syndrome caused by mutations in different genes, FGFR2 and POR

Antley-Bixler syndrome (ABS) is a rare form of syndromic craniosynostosis with additional systemic synostosis, including radiohumeral or radioulnar synostosis. Another characteristic feature of ABS is mid-facial hypoplasia that leads to airway narrowing after birth. ABS is associated with mutations in the FGFR2 and POR genes. Patients with POR mutations present with either skeletal manifestations or congenital adrenal hyperplasia with ambiguous genitalia. We report here two cases of ABS caused by mutations in FGFR2 and POR. Although the patients had craniosynostosis and radiohumeral synostosis in common and cranioplasty was performed in both cases, the male with POR mutations showed an elevated level of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone during newborn screening and was diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia by adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation. This patient has been treated with hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone. He had no ambiguous genitalia but had bilateral cryptorchidism. On the other hand, the female with the FGFR2 mutation showed severe clinical manifestations: upper airway narrowing leading to tracheostomy, kyphosis of the cervical spine, and coccyx deformity. ABS shows locus heterogeneity, and mutations in two different genes can cause similar craniofacial and skeletal phenotypes. Because the long-term outcomes and inheritance patterns of the disease differ markedly, depending on the causative mutation, early molecular genetic testing is helpful.