MECP2 mutant allele in a boy with Rett syndrome and his unaffected heterozygous mother

Rett syndrome is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder affecting principally females and characterized by a normal postnatal development followed by stagnation and regression of acquired skills. We report a 4-year-old boy with a Rett syndrome phenotype and his unaffected mother both carrying a 44 bp truncating deletion mutation (c.1158del44 or p.388X) in the MECP2 gene. The presence of a skewed X inactivation in the mother provides a possible explanation for the absence of penetrance. The finding of a MECP2 mutation in an unaffected female complicates genetic counseling and further confirms that it is essential to look for mutations in the mothers of all patients with MECP2 mutations.