A cross-sectional study on the palmar dermatoglyphics in relation to carcinoma breast patients

Dermatoglyphics is a collective term for all the integumentary features (skin patterning of the fingers, toes, palms and soles) and it applies to the division of the anatomy which embraces their study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the predominant finger tip patterns in the patients of carcinoma breast. An attempt is also being made to devise a score to assess the risk variables.

The fingerprints of 100 carcinoma breast patients were obtained and they were compared with those of 100 females who were not suffering from any malignancy till date. The different quantitative parameters of each hand of both the cancer patients and the controls were studied. The parameters which were included were the fingertip ridge pattern, the ridge count in the individual fingers, the Total Finger Ridge Count (TFRC) and the Absolute Finger Ridge Count (AFRC).

There was a significant increase in the arch pattern and a decrease in the radial loops in the right thumb (p<0.001), the left thumb (p<0.001), the left index finger (p<0.001) and the left middle finger (p<0.001). A comparison of all the five fingers of both the left and right hands of the cancer patients with the controls showed an arch pattern (p<0.001) with the highest frequency. The lower values of the TFRC (below 50) were associated with carcinoma breast .The lower values of the AFRC (below 100) were associated with the cancer patients.

This study was able to establish a specific finger tip predominance in the Carcinoma breast patients.