Autosomal recessive hereditary ectodermal dysplasia (HED) has not been described in sub-Saharan Africa. It is acknowledged to be rarer than the occasionally reported x-linked and autosomal dominant variants. We report a pair of Nigerian female twins with family history and clinical features suggestive of recessive HED, thereby showing the existence of this rare form in sub-Saharan Africa.

Limitation of family size after the birth of a child with a serious disorder poses a problem in demonstrating autosomal recessive inheritance. In this paper methods are presented for distinguishing autosomal recessive inheritance given a 100% deterrent effect, and revealing a partial deterrent effect by analysis of sibship size and comparison with general population data. These methods are illu...