A 4-year-old boy is brought to the pediatrician by his parents due to concerns about his appearance and hearing. He was born with a patch of white hair over the forehead and has had bilateral hearing loss since infancy. On physical exam, he has widely spaced inner canthi and irises of two different colors. Growth and development are otherwise normal. Which of the following best explains the pathogenesis of this patient’s condition?
A) Abnormal neural crest cell migration
B) Defective apoptosis of webbed tissue
C) Failure of fusion of the lateral pontine shelves
D) Failure of fusion of the maxillary and medial nasal prominences
E) Persistence of the thyroglossal duct
F) Rathke pouch remnant
