Study of Palmar Dermatoglyphic Pattern in Epileptic Patients of KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Belgaum – A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and objectives ABSTRACT Epilepsy is a group of disorders in which there are recurrent episodes of altered cerebral function associated with paroxysmal excessive hypersynchronous discharge of cerebral neurons. The objectives of the present study were to find out various dermatoglyphic features in patients suffering from epilepsy and to compare the dermatoglyphic features in normal and epileptic patients. Methods The present cross sectional study was conducted during the period from January 2007 to December 2007 on age and sex matched 70 epileptic patients and 70 normal individuals. Patients selected from those attending Out Patient Department of Neuromedicine, KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Belgaum aged between 5 and 40 years. Among the various methods used for recording dermatoglyphics, the most routinely used ink method was used for this study. The finger and palm prints were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative analysis included the finger print patterns and palmar patterns and quantitative analysis included total finger ridge count and atd angles. Results Significant findings in qualitative analyses of male epileptic patients showed increase in frequency of radial loops on finger tips of right and left index fingers and decrease in frequency of whorls on right thumb, index, ring and left ring finger. In female epileptics, there was increase of interdigital fourth pattern VIII in both hands. Significant findings in quantitative analysis of epileptic patients included increase of total finger ridge count in male and female epileptics. Conclusions and interpretation Thus with the help of these parameters, one can conclude that, there is some genetic basis for epilepsy and it is possible to a certain extent to predict from dermatoglyphic studies, individual’s tendency for acquiring epilepsy.