M-banding characterization of a 16p11.2p13.1 tandem duplication in a child with autism, neurodevelopmental delay and dysmorphism

We describe a partial duplication of the chromosome 16 short arm [46,XY,dup(16)(p11.2p13.1)] in an Iranian girl with autism, neurodevelopmental delay, mental retardation, very poor memory, and dysmorphism including sparse hair, upslanting palpebral fissures, long philtrum, micrognathia, hypotonia, small feet and hands, syndactyly of the fingers, and hypoplastic thumbs. The patient now four years old, has a normal twin sister, and the parents are unrelated. The abnormal 16p was originally detected by banding cytogenetic techniques, and was characterized by multicolour banding fluorescence in situ hybridization (MCB). The MCB pattern on the derivative chromosome 16 indicated a direct duplication of the region 16p11.2 to 16p13.1.