Pedigree analysis and risk assessment

Abstract

The personal and family medical pedigree has evolved from its earliest ancestors in the 15th century to its current form and has become an essential tool in many aspects of the clinical genetics evaluation. Originally used primarily to display relationship information, the pedigree was used for the first time to demonstrate inheritance of traits in the mid-19th century when Pliney Earl published on inheritance of color blindness and Francis Galton described inheritance of artistic ability and genius.1 © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.