ABSTRACT
This work was conducted on 30 children with paralytic poliomyelitis and 10 healthy children as a control group. Dermatoglyphics of patient was studied in comparison to controls and to standards for normal Egyptian children. The most prominent differences among patients and controls were encountered in the palmar areas where vestiges constituted the main pattern in patients reaching up to 100% in the 1st palmar area whereas in controls the arches were predominating. The percent distribution of accessory triradii a, b, c and d were significantly higher and partial simian crease occurred more frequently in poliomyelitis patients. There were no significant differences in the median digital ridge counts and digital patterns among patients and controls. These peculiar dermatoglyphic features constitute a further proof for the genetic basis of susceptibility to poliomyelitis. Further studies of the applicability of a multifactorial inheritance model are recommended