OBJECTIVETo investigate a patient featuring a complex neuromuscular disease phenotype.

METHODSA comprehensive analysis integrating clinical investigation, electrophysiological testing, pathological analysis and mutation screening was carried out.

RESULTSThe patient has presented clinical and pathological manifestations mimicking Duchenne muscular dystrophy. However, genetic analysis has identified no deletion in 21 exons of Dystrophin gene, no pathologic expansion of CTG repeats in DMPK gene or CCTG repeats in ZFN9 gene. Instead, a homozygous deletion of exons 7 and 8 in SMN gene was discovered.

CONCLUSIONA rare case of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) was verified by genetic diagnosis. SMA is a group of neuromuscular disorders with great phenotypic heterogeneity and sometimes cannot be diagnosed by clinical manifestations, electrophysiological and pathological changes alone. Genetic diagnosis has become indispensable for accurate diagnosis for patients suspected to have the disease.