Adermatoglyphia associated with Aquagenic Urticaria in a female Nigerian – an incidental clinical finding and surgical side attraction

Abstract

Background: The fingerprint is a unique, accessible and widely used authentic marker of personal identification as a biometric indicator. It is very unusual to find a person without fingerprints. In the course of preoperative surgical evaluation, we encountered a female surgical patient who claimed to lack fingerprints. This rare condition is called Adermatoglyphia. She was also found to be allergic to water, yet another very infrequent condition called Aquagenic Urticaria. We sought to know more about these conditions especially when inquiry among colleagues returned negative awareness. We hereby report our findings in the medical literature about both rare conditions.
Objective: Our aim for reporting this incidental condition is to update ourselves and colleagues about the existence of persons without fingerprints and its wider implications not necessarily medical.  We also wish to find out if dermatoglyphia and aquagenic urticaria have been described together in one individual previously in medical literature and what they have in common.
Method: We performed an online search in English medical literature using the key terms for a better understanding of their nature, causes, features, relationship, medical importance and other implications. This was used to support our incidental findings.
Result: Our literature search shows that Adermatoglyphia exists as a very rare congenital condition characterised by the absence of fingerprints hence labelled as a forensic lesion. However, some other acquired conditions exist that can lead to the absence, alteration or disappearance of fingerprints. Similarly, pathological allergy to water (aquagenic urticaria) though equally rare, has been well described in the literature but the two conditions are neither related nor have they been previously described in the same patient. This is the first report of the coexistence of Aquagenic Urticaria and Adermatoglyphia in the same patient .
Conclusion: It is important to keep the medical community aware of these rare conditions as the existence of persons without fingerprints have forensic, legal, business, immigration and security implications but no known medical concern while aquagenic urticaria is a very rare but serious allergic condition that can be managed medically.