Palmar and digital dermatoglyphic patterns in Malawian subjects

Abstract

Objective: To establish palmar and digital dermatoglyphic patterns.
Design: Cross sectional study of randomly selected black Malawian subjects.
Setting: Chichiri Secondary School and College of Medicine in Blantyre, Malawi.
Main outcome measures: Total finger ridge count (TFRC), atd angle, a-b ridge counts, pattern intensity index (PII) and the variability of ridge patterns were determined.
Results: Arches were the most predominant digital pattern in both sexes,followed by radii loops in males and whorls in females. The sex differences between these digital patterns were not statistically significant and palmar patterns did not show sexual dimorphism. Females had significantly higher TFRC than males (p<0.001) while males showed higher mean PI1 values than females. Females also had significantly higher atd angle than males while males had significantly higher a-b ridge counts than females (p<0.001). The TFRC'. atd angle and a-b ridges count were significantly higher in Nigerians than Malawians (p<0.001). The mean PI1 was also higher in Nigerians than in Malawians.
Conclusion: For the first time the normal dermatnglyphic patterns of Malawians was established.