A simple technique for recording and counting sweat pores on the dermal ridges

A simple method was devised for recording dermatoglyphics in a form suitable for sweat pore counting. Fifteen members of a family with a hypohidrotic X-linked ectodermal dysplasia made their own hand prints using our method and mailed the results to us for interpretation. The simplicity of the technique also makes it practical to use on new-born males at risk for the condition, or where dermatoglyphic records are required for other purposes. Preliminary data suggest that patchiness of sweat pore distribution on the fingers and palms may be useful in the discrimination of heterozygotes.