Molecular genetics in fetal neurology.
Brain malformations, particularly related to early brain development, are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of fetal neurological disorders. Fetal cerebral malformation, predominantly of impaired prosencephalic development namely agenesis of the corpus callosum and septo-optic dysplasia, is the main pathological feature in fetus, and causes prominent neurodevelopmental retardation, and associated with congenital facial anomalies and visual disorders. Differential diagnosis of brain malformations can be extremely difficult even through magnetic resonance imaging. Advances in genomic and molecular genetics technologies have led to the identification of the sonic hedgehog pathways and genes critical to the normal brain development. Molecular cytogenetic and genetic studies have identified numeric and structural chromosomal abnormalities as well as mutations in genes important for the etiology of fetal neurological disorders. In this review, we update the molecular genetics findings of three common fetal neurological abnormalities, holoprosencephaly, lissencephaly and agenesis of the corpus callosum, in an attempt to assist in perinatal and prenatal diagnosis.
Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR.
Jin
J
Huang
Isabella Y M
IY
Wah
Ritsuko K
RK
Pooh
Kwong Wai
KW
Choy
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000254:growth & development; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D009462:Neurology / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends