Patient 1 is a girl aged 5 years and 9 months, the first child of a healthy nonconsanguineous couple. Her psychomotor milestones were profoundly delayed, with raising head at 8 months, sitting alone at 1 year old, and still unable to walk by herself at 5 years and 9 months. Poor eye contact, hand clapping, hand wringing and bruxism were observed at 1 year old, followed by deterioration of hand skills. Epileptic attack occurred at 20 months old, and she responded to valproate (VPA), oxcarbazepine (OXC), and topiramate (TPM) combined therapy. Seizure free was achieved at 5.5 years old. EEG demonstrated spike-slow waves at right medial and posterior temporal, with generalization. MRI (1 year old) revealed enlargement of frontal subarachnoid space. Above manifestations led to the diagnosis of typical RTT. However, mutational analysis of MECP2, CDKL5 and FOXG1 was negative. Through this study, a de novo missense MEF2C mutation, c.48C > G, p.Asn16Lys, was identified, which was a novel mutation.
Patient 4 was a boy aged 7 years and 8 months. He achieved the gross motor developmental milestones somewhat delay, with rising head at 1 year old, sitting alone at 1 year and 2 months, and walking at 1.5 years. Lack of speech was another problem, that he still cannot speak a single word so far (7 years and 8 months). He was always immersed in his own world, showed little interest to the others, and lacked eye-contact. Febrile seizures attacked at 1 year, which turned into afebrile seizures at 2 years old. Partial seizures occurred 1~ 2 times per month, lasted few minutes to more than half an hour. The epilepsy was fever-sensitive. VPA was used at 2.5 years of age, and no seizures occurred after 4 years of age. EEG at 2.5 years displayed (multi-) spike and slow waves at right occipital region, with slow rhythm on the background. MRI at 3 years of age was normal. A novel mutation, c.403-1G > T, of MEF2C was identified, which arose de novo.