Case report: Neuronal migration disorder associated with chromosome 15q13.3 duplication in a boy with autism and seizures

Neuronal migration disorders are a group of disorders that cause structural brain abnormalities and varying degrees of neurocognitive impairment, resulting from abnormal neuronal migration during brain development. There are several mutations that have been associated with these disorders. Here the case of a 4-year-old autistic boy is presented, who was found to have evidence of a neuronal migration disorder on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during a workup for seizures. Genetic testing did not reveal any of the gene mutations known to be associated with neuronal migration disorders but did reveal a microduplication at chromosome 15q13.3, a locus that has been previously associated with autism, cognitive impairment, and seizures. Although the concurrent presence of the genetic and structural abnormalities does not necessarily imply causality, the simultaneous independent occurrence of both conditions is certainly unusual. It is possible that there may be an association between this duplication syndrome and aberrant neuronal migration.