Is incontinentia pigmenti inherited ?
This condition is inherited in an X-linked dominant pattern. The gene associated with this condition is located on the X chromosome, which is one of the two sex chromosomes. In females (who have two X chromosomes), a mutation in one of the two copies of the gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder. Some cells produce a normal amount of IKBKG protein and other cells produce none. The resulting imbalance in cells producing this protein leads to the signs and symptoms of incontinentia pigmenti.  In males (who have only one X chromosome), most IKBKG mutations result in a total loss of the IKBKG protein. A lack of this protein appears to be lethal early in development, so few males are born with incontinentia pigmenti. Affected males who survive may have an IKBKG mutation with relatively mild effects, an IKBKG mutation in only some of the body's cells (mosaicism), or an extra copy of the X chromosome in each cell.  Some people with incontinentia pigmenti inherit an IKBKG mutation from one affected parent. Other cases result from new mutations in the gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family.