• Keitaro Mizumoto, Kumiko Kato, Kaoru Fujinami, Tadasu Sugita, Iichiro Sugita, Ayako Hattori, Shinji Saitoh, Shinji Ueno, Kazushige Tsunoda, Takeshi Iwata, and Mineo Kondo.
• Department of Ophthalmology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Dec 16; 101 (50): e32161e32161.

PurposeBardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is an autosomal recessive systemic disorder characterized by retinitis pigmentosa, polydactyly, obesity, intellectual disability, renal impairments, and hypogonadism. The purpose of this study was to determine the ocular characteristics of a boy with BBS caused by a novel homozygous variant in the ARL6 (alternative named BBS3) gene who had been originally diagnosed with retinitis punctata albescens.MethodsThis was an observational case study. The patient underwent ophthalmological examinations, electroretinography, and genetic analyses using whole-exome sequencing.ResultsA 7-year-old boy was examined in our hospital with complaints of a progressive reduction of his visual acuity and night blindness in both eyes. There was no family history of eye diseases and no consanguineous marriage. Fundus examinations showed numerous white spots in the deep retina and retinal pigment epithelium. Fundus autofluorescence showed hypofluorescence consistent with these spots. Both the scotopic and photopic components of the full-field electroretinographies were non-detectable. Based on these clinical findings, this boy was suspected to have retinitis punctata albescens. Subsequent genetic testing using whole-exome sequencing revealed a novel homozygous variants in the ARL6/BBS3 gene (NM_001278293.3:c.528G>A, (p.Trp176Ter)). A systemic examination by the pediatric department revealed that this boy had a history of a surgical excision of polydactyly on his left foot when he was born, and that he was mildly obese. There were no prominent intellectual or gonadal dysfunctions, no craniofacial or dental abnormalities, no congenital heart disease, and no hearing impairment. He was then clinically and genetically diagnosed with BBS.Conclusion And ImportanceIn children with night blindness and progressive visual dysfunction, it is important for ophthalmologists to consult clinical geneticists and pediatricians to rule out the possibility of systemic diseases such as BBS.Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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