Partial trisomy 1q is rare and mostly the result of an abnormal segregation of parental translocation chromosomes and their homologues. Only 31 cases have been described with pure partial trisomy 1q. In the fetus presented, chromosome analysis after amniocentesis had shown an unbalanced male karyotype with an aberrant chromosome 1. A de novo terminal duplication of the long arm was suspected but could not be verified by FISH in 1994. Five years after fetal death, retrospective identification of the additional material in 1q could finally be achieved by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) using DNA extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded fetal tissues. A direct duplication dir dup (1)(pter-->q44::q32.1-->qter) was found. Only 6 other individuals with duplication of this segment have been described so far. Comparative delineation of a dup1q phenotype with regard to size and origin of the dup (1q) segment evidenced that large duplications as well as proximal and interstitial duplications coincide with more severe visceral malformations, severe mental retar- dation and a short life span. Terminal duplications (1q32-->qter) concur with less severe malformations and longer periods of survival, but marked mental retardation. With small terminal duplications (1q42-->qter) dysmorphisms are usually mild and intellectual performance is mostly in the normal range.
Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel