Albinism in Africa. Historical, Geographic, Medical, Genetic, and Psychosocial Aspects

Table of Contents

1. Introduction and historical background
2. Clinical features, types of albinism and natural history
3. Epidemiology of albinism
4. Medical aspects. Dermatology
5. Medical aspects. Ophthalmology
6. Psychosocial aspects of albinism
7. Molecular biology of albinism
8. Genetic Counselling
9. Genetic testing and prenatal diagnosis
10. Management and therapy
11. Conclusion

Authors

Jennifer Kromberg Associate Professor of Human Genetics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Dr. Kromberg has had 40 years' experience working with albinism patients in Southern Africa, has written a MA dissertation and a PhD thesis on the topic, and has published more than 60 peer reviewed papers on albinism, genetic counseling in sub-Saharan Africa, and related topics within human genetics and genomic medicine implementation. To-date, her primary areas of research have included hereditary cancers, genetic counseling practice and implementation, Fanconi anemia in South African populations, predictive genetic testing in children, intellectual disability in rural South Africa, genetic testing for Huntington's Disease, and the genetics of oculocutaneous albinism. Prashiela Manga Dr Prashiela Manga is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at New York University School of Medicine, Smilow Research Center.. Dr. Manga is a molecular biologist, who completed her PhD research in South Africa and wrote her PhD thesis on the molecular aspects of the rarer types of albinism found in Southern Africa. She has 24 years of experience researching the biology of skin pigmentation and has published more than 36 peer reviewed papers on genetics, albinism, and other pigmentary conditions. Her areas of primary expertise include the biology of skin, hair and eye pigmentation, genetics of oculocutaneous albinism, the etiology of vitiligo, genotype based association models of complex diseases, gene mutation and melanoma risk assessment.