Recurrent proximal 18p monosomy and 18q trisomy in a family with a maternal pericentric inversion of chromosome 18.

We report a recurrent partial monosomy of 18p10-->11.2 and proximal partial trisomy of 18q10-->21.3 caused by a maternal pericentric inversion of chromosome 18, involving breakpoints p11.2 and q21q21.3 Based on cytogenetics and FISH analysis, we speculate that the recurrent chromosome abnormality in the proband and in the fetus was the result of a translocation, possibly in a germ cell or germ cell precursor, between the maternal normal 18 and her inverted 18, resulting in maternal germinal mosaicism, i.e. 46,XX,inv(18)/46,XX,t[18;inv(18)][q10;q10]. The unbalanced karyotype of the proband and the fetus is 46,XY,+18,der[18;inv(18)][q10;q10]. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of this combination of proximal 18p monosomy and proximal 18q trisomy. The other interesting observation was association of Hirschsprung's disease in the proband.