Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome with PHOX2B Gene Mutation in a Taiwanese Infant

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a rare disease that is characterized by failure in the autonomic control of breathing. Recent reports have identified mutation of the paired mesoderm homeobox protein 2b (PHOX2B) gene as playing a major role in CCHS. Increasing polyalanine repeat number is associated with a more severe clinical phenotype. We report a newborn male infant with the clinical manifestations of apnea and cyanosis requiring immediate endotracheal intubation at the age of 1 day. Recurrent hypoventilation with hypercapnia and hypoxemia occurred during sleep after weaning from the ventilator. No primary cardiopulmonary disease was identified. These clinical manifestations are compatible with CCHS. PHOX2B gene mutation analysis performed at the age of 4 months revealed expanded alleles containing polyalanine 26 repeats, further supporting the diagnosis of CCHS. Continuous ventilator support was necessary and tracheostomy was ultimately performed at the age of 5 months due to ventilator dependence. He was discharged with home ventilator support at the age of 6 months. [J Formos Med Assoc 2007;106(1):69-73