Xeroderma pigmentosa: three new cases with an in depth review of the genetic and clinical characteristics of the disease.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypersensitivity of the skin and eyes to UV-radiation as a result of a defect in one of eight genes. Seven genes (XPA-XPG) have a defect in Nucletoide Excision Repair (NER), while the eighth gene XPV has a defect in polymerase η, which is responsible for replication of UV-damaged DNA to produce corrected daughter strands. We present the varied clinical courses of three African-American female patients with XP. Additionally, we present a review of the literature that focuses on the various clinical manifestations as well as the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying this disease.