Quantitative Analysis of Digitopalmar Dermatoglyphics in Forty Female Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

Dermatoglyphic pattern analysis, the one of the genetic method, was used to determine digitopalmar ridge count in 40 women with ankylosing spondylitis. Twenty five variables (ridge count on each of the ten fingers, their sum on five and ten fingers, four traits o n each palm, i.e. ridge count between a-b, b-c and c-d triradii, and atd angles in degrees, on the palms as well as their sum) were determined. The data thus obtained were compared with digitopalmar prints of 200 healthy women who served as a control group. A significant difference from the control group was found for one variable: ridge count was increased on the lef t fifth finger tip. By the new testing, compared with 40 females from the same control group it has been found another five statistically significant variables. That means that they could used, for prevention, and this is the aim of this study, in the evaluation of the relative risk in family members with positive disease history.