Novel postzygotic RASA1 mutation in a patient with Parkes Weber syndrome: A case report and literature review.

Abstract

Not only germline but also postzygotic mutations in the RASA1 or EPHB4 genes can lead to capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation (CM-AVM) syndrome. As it is not always possible to clinically distinguish between constitutional variants and postzygotic mosaicism, a sufficiently high sequencing depth must be used in genetic diagnostics to detect both. Capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation (CM-AVM) syndrome, with or without Parkes Weber syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by pathogenic RASA1 or EPHB4 variants. Up to 80% of CM-AVM cases have an affected parent. Gene panel sequencing was performed for a 4-year-old girl with multiple CMs, two capillary stains on the left leg, and associated overgrowth of the second toe. We also reviewed published cases with mosaic RASA1 and EPHB4 mutations. A mosaic RASA1 loss-of-function mutation was detected with a variant allele frequency (VAF) of 20% in the blood and oral epithelial cells of the index patient. The literature review illustrates that the severity of the clinical phenotype does not correlate with the VAF. We also identified a germline nonsense variant in the patient's TEK gene. However, inactivating TEK variants do not cause a vascular phenotype but can confer an increased risk for primary congenital glaucoma with variable expressivity. The case presented here illustrates that the choice of the sequencing depth of a diagnostic next-generation sequencing test for CM-AVM patients should always take mosaicism into account and that a good knowledge of the sequenced genes and associated disease mechanisms is necessary for adequate genetic counseling.