Digito-palmar complex in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Background: It is only recently that the knowledge of dermatoglyphics has been applied to the field of medical and genetic diagnosis. Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare and evaluate the dermatoglyphic pattern in individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with a normal adult population. Materials and Methods: Both quantitative as well as qualitative parameters were analyzed in 112 (63 male and 49 female) subjects and compared with the data from 142 (65 male and 77 female) healthy controls. Modified Purvis-Smith ink method was used for obtaining the prints, and statistical analyses were done using Student's unpaired t test and chi-square test. Results: A statistically significant increase in the 'atd' angle was noted on both hands of both sexes in diabetics when compared to the controls, who showed narrower angles. The presence of an additional axial triradii (t′/t″) in diabetic patients was also significant. Conclusions: With the available data, although other parameters were not statistically significant, the current work emphasizes that a wider 'atd' angle and the additional axial triradii were seen as reliable indicators helpful in scientific screening of populations prone to diabetes mellitus.