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Polydactyly and psychosis. Five cases of co-occurrence
A G Cardno1, K C Murphy, L A Jones
1University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff.
Background:
Abnormalities presumed to occur during foetal life have been associated with schizophrenia. Polydactyly is a developmental abnormality but no previous association has been reported between polydactyly and functional psychotic illness.
Method:
Individuals with both polydactyly and a functional psychosis were ascertained during a study of familial schizophrenia.
Results:
Five such individuals were ascertained in the course of assessing 234 individuals with familial psychosis, giving a rate of polydactyly in the sample of around 10 times the general population rate.
Conclusions:
This study provides preliminary evidence that polydactyly is over-represented in individuals with familial schizophrenia and related psychotic illnesses.