Wolcott–Rallison syndrome (WRS) and the recently delineated microcephaly with simplified gyration, epilepsy, and permanent neonatal diabetes syndrome (MEDS) are clinically overlapping autosomal recessive disorders characterized by early onset diabetes, skeletal defects, and growth retardation. While liver and renal symptoms are more severe in WRS, neurodevelopmental characteristics are more pronounced in MEDS patients, in which microcephaly and uncontrolled epilepsy are uniformly present. Mutations in the EIF2AK3 gene were described in patients with WRS and defects in this gene lead to increased susceptibility to apoptotic cell death. Mutations in IER3IP1 have been reported in patients with MEDS and similarly, loss of activity results in apoptosis of neurons and pancreatic beta cells in patients. Here we report on a homozygous mutation of the IER3IP1 gene in four patients from two unrelated consanguineous Egyptian families presenting with MEDS who display burst suppression patterns on EEG. All patients presented with mildly elevated liver enzymes, microalbuminuria, and skeletal changes such as scoliosis and osteopenia, leading to repeated bone fractures. We expand the phenotypic spectrum of MEDS caused by IER3IP1 gene mutations and propose that WRS and MEDS are overlapping clinical syndromes, displaying significant gene‐dependent clinical variability.

Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) is a diverse group of genetic disorders caused by congenital defects of two or more ectodermal-derived body structures, namely, hair, teeth, nails, and some glands, e.g., sweat glands. Molecular pathogenesis of ED involves mutations of genes encoding key proteins of major developmental pathways, including ectodysplasin (EDA) and wingless-type (WNT) pathways. The most common ED phenotype is hypohidrotic/anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) featuring hypotrichosis, hypohidrosis/anhidrosis, and hypodontia. Molecular diagnosis is fundamental for disease management and emerging treatments. We used targeted next generation sequencing to study EDA, EDAR, EDARADD, and WNT10A genes in 45 Egyptian ED patients with or without hypohidrosis. We present genotype and phenotype data of 28 molecularly-characterized patients demonstrating genetic heterogeneity, variable expressivity, and intrafamilial phenotypic variability. Thirteen mutations were reported, including four novel EDA mutations, two novel EDARADD, and one novel EDAR mutations. Identified mutations congregated in exons encoding key functional domains. EDA is the most common gene contributing to 85% of the identified Egyptian ED genetic spectrum, followed by EDARADD (10%) and EDAR (5%). Our cohort represents the first and largest cohort from North Africa where more than 60% of ED patients were identified emphasizing the need for exome sequencing to explore unidentified cases.