Whole-exome sequencing in the clinic: Lessons from six consecutive cases from the clinician's perspective

Abstract

Whole-exome sequencing (WES) is being used clinically to diagnose rare Mendelian disorders, especially when standard tests have failed. The diagnostic yield from WES is reported to be ∼15-30%; however, data regarding the clinical utility and interpretative challenges from the clinician's perspective are lacking. Here, we present a series of the first 6 unselected consecutive cases seen over a period of 6 months where WES was employed in clinical labs via trio-based testing (proband and parents). While we do not discount the value of WES in the clinical setting, our cases and experience illustrate the significant clinical challenges of WES, even when a diagnosis may be achieved.