X-linked ocular albinism occurs almost exclusively in males. It is passed from mothers who carry the gene to their sons. Each time a mother who carries the gene for ocular albinism gives birth to a son, there is a 1 in 2 chance that the son will have ocular albinism. Mothers who carry the gene may have mottled pigmentation in the back of their eyes, but do not have the full syndrome of ocular albinism. An ophthalmologist may be able to identify this mottling.
Autosomal recessive is another pattern of inheritance of a genetic trait.
Both parents of a child with autosomal recessive ocular albinism carry the gene for it. Boys and girls are equally affected. If both mother and father carry the gene, then at each birth there is a one in four chance that the child will have ocular albinism. Since there are these two different patterns of inheritance of ocular albinism, parents who have a child with ocular albinism and who plan to have more children may wish to consult a genetic counselor to answer questions about likelihood of having another child with ocular albinism. To tell the difference between X-linked and autosomal recessive ocular albinism, a skin biopsy can be done.