Dermatoglyphic Patterns of Diabetic Mellitus Patients of Ijaw Origin in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Abstract

Objectives: Dermatoglyphics, the scientific study of the palmer and digital print patterns is becomingly applied to a number of genetic, psychotic, idiopathic and malignant disease conditions in man. This is because distinct and characteristic patterns are being observed in these diseases. This study was carried out to determine the dermatoglyphic pattern of Diabetes Mellitus patients of Ijaw origin in Port Harcourt metropolis. Method: A total number of 90 (50 males and 40 females) adult diabetic patients attending diabetic clinic at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital. Port Harcourt and same number of normal subjects as control was studied Dermatoglyphic patterns such as digital patterns, atd angle, dat angle, total ridge count and the pattern intensity index were analyzed. Results and Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the digital patterns in the two groups (P>0.05). The dat angle, atd angle, the total ridge count were all significantly greater in the diabetics than in the normal subjects. The pattern intensity index was higher in the diabetic males but was lower in the female diabetics .These observations in the dermatoglyphic pattern can be used for the identification of diabetic patients of Ijaw origin.

KEY WORDS: Diabetes Mellitus, Dermatoglyphics, Ijaws, Port Harcourt.