MONILETHRIX.

In a population of 500,000, six patients with monilethrix have been seen in 14 years. Five patients from a family with nine affected members over five generations are described. The responsible gene behaves as a simple dominant; there is no evidence of linkage with the gene determining hair colour. No patient has grown an adequate quantity of scalp hair ; all require camouflage with wigs. The essential nature of this functional defect of the hair papilla remains obscure. In three patients no abnormality of hair keratin or of urinary amino-acid pattern was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]