A 15;15 Translocation in a couple with Repeated Abortions: Case report

Carriers of structural chromosomal rearrangements such as Robertsonian or reciprocal translocations have an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and producing offspring with genetic abnormalities. Robertsonian translocations are present in 0.1% of the general population and 1% of the infertile population. Two types of Robertsonian translocations occur more frequently than all others, being 45,XX,rob(13;14)(q10;q10) and 45,XX,rob(14;21)(q10;q10) respectively. The history of repeated abortions could be the outcome of unbalanced gametes (either monosomy or trisomy) resulting during the meiotic segregation of the balanced heterozygote female carrier. In the present report, uncommon Robertsonian translocation in a couple with spontaneous repeated abortions is reported. Cytogenetic analysis of a couple revealed the presence of 45, XY, t (15; 15) (10q; 10q) chromosomal constitution in the male partner. The cytogenetic analysis of couples with repeated abortions is obligatory to identify any probable chromosomal aberrations. As far as we know this is the first instance reported in Iran.