Waardenburg's syndrome in Kenyan Africans

Waardenburg's syndrome is characterized by deafness and pigment disorders of the eyes, hair and skin. Two types are distinguished; e.g. type I with dystopia canthorum and type II without dystopia canthorum. In Kenya 12 out of 724 pupils of schoools for the deaf were found to suffer from the syndrome. Ten of these belonged to eight families; 20 other members of these families had signs of the syndrome. Of these 30 patients 18 had type I, 12 type II. The expression of most characteristics in these Kenyan patients was almost the same as in Caucasians. The mode of inheritance was autosomal dominant, as in Caucasians. The interocular distances were measured in 168 healthy children and adults of the Luo tribe. In most age groups slightly larger values were found than in the Caucasian race. For the diagnosis of dystopia canthorum this should be taken into account.