A case of combined 21-hydroxylase deficiency and CHARGE syndrome featuring micropenis and cryptorchidism

Background: 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) is caused due to CYP21A2 gene variant. In males, the excess androgens produce varying degrees of penile enlargement and small testes. CHARGE syndrome (CS) has a broad spectrum of symptoms. In males, genital features such as micropenis and cryptorchidism are found in 48% of CS. There are no reports of patients with combined 21-OHD and CS; therefore, it is unknown whether the external genitalia shows penile enlargement or micropenis with/without cryptorchidism.

Case: A boy, born at 37 weeks and 5 days of gestational age with no consanguineous marriage, was admitted to our hospital due to congenital cleft lip, cleft palate, micropenis, cryptorchidism, and a ventricular septal defect. He had severe hyponatremia and hyperkalemia on day 10. He was diagnosed to have 21-OHD and CS. His external genitalia demonstrated both cryptorchidism and micropenis, but not penile enlargement.

Methods: DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes using standard procedures. Sanger sequence was performed in CYP21A2. Exome sequence was performed, and then, Sanger sequence was performed around variant in CHD7.

Results: Genetic screening for CYP21A2 gene was performed and compound heterozygous variants of c.293-13A/C>G (IVS2-13A/C>G) and c.518T>A (p.I172N) were detected in chromosome 6p21.3. His mother had been heterozygous variant of c.293-13A/C>G, and his father had been heterozygous variant of c.518T>A. Simultaneously, a de novo splicing acceptor alteration in c.7165-4 A>G, in chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein-7 (CHD7), located in chromosome 8q12 was detected, and the patient was diagnosed with 21-OHD and CS.

Conclusion: Although these two disorders exhibit different modes of inheritance and their co-morbidity is extremely rare, we encountered one male patient who suffered from both 21-OHD and CS.