Dermatoglyphic study in cases of idiopathic epilepsy

ABSTRACT

Dermatoglyphic pattern was studied in 39 cases of idiopathic epilepsy, 20 parents known to have children with idiopathic epilepsy and 30 normal sibs of epileptic children. A control group which included 30 healthy age and sex-matched children, 25 sibs and 20 parents [10 husbands and their wives] was also studied. Our results revealed increased main line index especially on right palm, decreased total ridge count in right and left palms and more frequent existence of transverse line epileptic children as compared to their controls. No similar significant differences were found between the parents and sibs of epileptic children and their controls except for the increased main line index which was significantly increased in parents of epileptic children [P less than 0.05]. This emphasizes the existence of genetic predisposition idiopathic epilepsy