Dermatoglyphic patterns in congenital dislocation of the hip.

In this study, dermatoglyphic patterns of 100 children (15 boys and 85 girls) with CDH who were treated with conservative management or surgical reduction are presented. 200 pairs of fingerprints and palm patterns and their combinations were evaluated and classified according to Galton's system, compared with a control group of 100 normal children. Keeping in mind the possibility that most of the dermatoglyphic pathologies might be in keeping with CDH due to embryologic developing coincidence, specifically head-presentation deliveries were selected for the study. None of them had other congenital anomalies and no medicines were received during pregnancies which would cause a teratogenic effect in development of dermal patterns. Printer's-ink method was used to take the dermal patterns. There was an increased frequency of patterns in the fingerprints of the girls' and boys left hands. There were no other significant dermal patterns to use as a diagnostic feature in CDH. Literature was reviewed and discussed.