Gorlin syndrome patient with large deletion in 9q22.32-q22.33 detected by quantitative multiplex fluorescent PCR.

Background: Gorlin syndrome is a rare autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by a wide range of developmental abnormalities and various tumors. The syndrome is caused by mutations in PTCH1, a tumor suppressor gene located at 9q22.32. We describe a Gorlin syndrome case with typical features of the syndrome and no mutations in PTCH1, but with a large deletion of the 9q22 region that has rarely been described.

Objective: To fully characterize the large deletion in the patient.

Methods: In order to map the size and position of the deletion, we developed quantitative multiplex fluorescent PCR with polymorphic markers surrounding the PTCH1 gene, followed by long-range PCR and sequencing.

Results: The deleted segment of 4.5 Mb in the 9q22.32-q22.33 region was determined, and included the entire PTCH1, its promoter and 22 OMIM genes.

Conclusion: We suggest that screening for large deletions should be included in standard mutation screening for Gorlin syndrome patients.