24th February 2024

Pedigree

A thorough history, including family history, will provide vital information about the inheritance pattern and valuable clues to the underlying genetic condition. Geneticists will use a pedigree to visualise the information gathered from the family history. The pedigree will highlight the relationship between the index patient and all other family members. While candidates will not be expected to draw a pedigree during the MRCP exam, it is a helpful tool to visualise the family history as it can reveal valuable clues to the pattern of inheritance of the conditions.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (2006). Pedigree chart B, Licensed under a creative commons licence. Available for free at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PedigreechartB.png (Accessed: 5 January 2024).