FINCA syndrome

Abstract

FINCA (fibrosis, neuro-degeneration, cerebral angiomatosis) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive early onset fatal disorder characterised by progressive cerebropulmonary symptoms, malabsorption, progressive growth failure, recurrent infection, chronic haemolytic anaemia and transient liver dysfunction. A 5 year old female baby born as a preterm 33 weeks (2nd twin of dichorionic diamniotic twin) to nonconsanguineous parents via intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection and surrogacy, delivered by emergency caesarean section (indication- pre-eclampsia in mother) with a birth weight of 1.8 kg. She had a stormy neonatal period and had anaemia requiring blood transfusion. Developmental delay was noted from early infancy which was not responding to developmental therapy, along with recurrent episodes of aspiration pneumonia. Her twin on the other hand had normal mile stones without any remarkable medical history. Examination and evaluation revealed features of chronic hemolysis. In view of constellation of developmental delay, recurrent infection, chronic hemolytic anaemia and cerebral atrophy beyond documented perinatal issues and dysmorphism, clinical exome sequencing was done which revealed missense variation in exon of NHLRC2 gene on chromosome 10 suggestive of FINCA syndrome. This case emphasized the need of genetic testing to resolve uncertainty in etiology and accurate prognostication.