Genodermatosis: a brief review of this grey area in dentistry

The past two decades have seen significant and unprecedented progress in human genetics owing to
the advent of novel molecular biological technologies and major developments in computational
methods. The field of genetics in dermatology has progressed at an astonishing rate. Most of the
known single gene disorders have at least been mapped to a particular chromosomal region and the
causative genes have been identified and studied in many of them. The genodermatoses are a large
group of inherited single-gene disorders with skin manifestations. Many of these disorders are rare
however, the recognition of their skin findings is important not only for the initiation of appropriate
dermatologic therapy, but also for the detection of other associated abnormalities in these frequently
multisystem disorders, including malignancy. However, most research work in genetics relating to
genodermatoses has been confined to the western population. Very few reports have been published
from Indian studies.
This review discusses common genodermatosis disorders associated with their oral manifestations.