A novel de novo paracentric inversion of the long arm of chromosome 20 [inv(20)(q13.1q13.3)], detected by conventional karyotyping in a 14-year-old boy with mental retardation is described. Further investigation by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) revealed that the 20q inversion was not accompanied by microdeletions/microduplications containing disease-associated genes near or at the breakpoints. Two deletions at chromosomal regions 11q14.3q21 and 20q12 of 4.5 and 1.97 Mb size, respectively, containing important online Mendelian inheritance in man (OMIM) genes, were detected. The 4.5Mb 11q14.3q21 microdeletion was contained within a region that is involved, in most of the reported cases, with the interstitial 11q deletion and may be related to the mental retardation and developmental delay present in the patient. On the other hand, the published data about the 20q12 microdeletion are very few and it is not possible to correlate this finding with our patient’s phenotype. This case report contributes to the description of a new chromosomal entity, not previously reported, and is therefore important, especially in prenatal diagnosis and management of patients. Array comparative genomic hybridization has proven a useful technique for detecting submicroscopic rearrangements and should be offered prenatally, especially in cases of de novo karyotypically balanced chromosomal inversions or translocations in order to unveil other unbalanced chromosomal abnormalities such as deletions and amplifications.
