Objectives: TO define the mode of inheritance of dermoid sinus.
Methods: A chi-squared analysis was performed on data from 46 litters produced between 1990 and 2001. Data were corrected to avoid bias in the segregation ratio.
Results: In data from 57 litters (n=492), 82 dermoid sinus positive offspring were observed. The frequency of affected offspring in the Swedish Rhodesian ridgeback population is estimated to be between 8 and 10 per cent.
Clinical significance: Bias in heredity pattern may be caused by undetected dermoid sinus type V. Improved clinical diagnosis of all dermoid sinus types is therefore crucial.