Familial aspects of Caffey's disease.

Caffey's disease is a cortical hyperostosis, which presents during infancy. Etiology remains unclear. Familial occurrence has been documented in the literature. Reported here is infantile cortical hyperostosis that occurred in a father and his two daughters. The familial occurrence would suggest a genetic basis for Caffey's disease; however, it remains consistent with infection by an agent with a long latency period as has been strongly suggested in Paget's disease.