Prenatal diagnosis of lamellar ichthyosis by direct mutational analysis of the keratinocyte transglutaminase gene.

Autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis (LI) is a rare inherited disease of cornification of the skin. Recently, the gene responsible for type I LI has been identified and mutations have been described. The identification of mutations in families at risk for LI allows a precise and rapid prenatal diagnosis. A family with a previously unreported mutation is described and a prenatal diagnosis based on a simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach is outlined. The molecular diagnosis was confirmed on post-mortem examination of the skin.