A homozygous BMPR1B mutation causes a new subtype of acromesomelic chondrodysplasia with genital anomalies

We present a patient with acromesomelic chondrodysplasia and genital anomalies caused by a novel homozygous mutation in BMPR1B, the gene coding for bone morphogenetic protein receptor 1B. The 16 year old girl, the offspring of a multiconsanguinous family, showed a severe form of limb malformation consisting of aplasia of the fibula, severe brachydactyly, ulnar deviation of the hands, and fusion of carpal/tarsal bones. In addition, she presented with hypoplasia of the uterus and ovarian dysfunction resulting in hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism. Mutation analysis of BMPR1B revealed a homozygous 8 bp deletion (del359-366). This mutation is expected to result in a loss of function and is thus different from the heterozygous missense mutations in BMPR1B recently shown to cause brachydactyly type A2 through a dominant negative effect. The patient's skeletal phenotype shows an overlap with the clinical spectrum of the acromesomelic chondrodysplasias of the Grebe, Hunter-Thompson, and DuPan types caused by homozygous mutations in the gene coding for Growth Differentiation Factor 5 (GDF5) which is a high-affinity ligand to BMPR1B. However, the phenotype described here differs from GDF5 associated chondrodysplasias because of the additional presence of genital anomalies and the distinct limb phenotype.