Quantitative dermatoglyphic analysis in patients of oral sub mucous fibrosis

Abstract

Background - Dermatoglyphics is the collective name for all those integumentary features within the limits to be defined and it applies to the division of anatomy which includes their study. Diagnosis of many diseases which are genetically or non genetically determined like Diabetes mellitus, Schizophrenia, Hypertension, etc can now be aided by dermatoglyphic analysis. Oral submucous fibrosis is a chronic precancerous oral disease, specially seen in guthka chewers, but not all the gutkha chewers develops the disease or non gutkha chewers may also develop the disease. Genetic predisposition explains such individual variability. Such genetic predisposition can be explored with the help of dermatoglyphic studies. Objective- The study was aimed at finding the dermatoglyphic markers for the patients of Oral submucous Fibrosis by assessing the quantitative dermatoglyphic parameters. Method- 100 gutkha chewers without Oral Submucous fibrosis and 100 Gutkha chewers with Oral submucous fibrosis were selected for the study and their quantitative dermatoglypphic analysis with specific reference to total finger ridge count (TFRC) and atd angle was carried out and was statistically analyzed. Result- There was significant decrease in mean TFRC and atd angle for the patients of Oral sub Mucous Fibrosis.