Alopecia Areata and Dermatoglyphics

Abstract

<span>Objective: To study of relationship between alopecia areata and finger print dermatoglyphic types in 100 patients with alopecia areata and in 100 controls. Methods: A case control analytical study was done on fingerprints of patients with alopecia areata. The control cases were older than 50 years old without any history of alopecia areata. Dermatoglyphical trials of total fingers were also studied. Diagnostic criteria for alopecia areata was simultaneous shedding of hair seen by a dermatologist. Results: In patients with alopecia areata, the frequency of finger print types was: whorl in 47.3%, loop in 39.6%, arch in 13.1%. In control group whorl were seen in 56.1%, loop in 37.3% and arch in 6.6%. The statistical difference between fingerprint of thumb finger in right hand, index and small finger in left hand relative to control group were significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicate of a genetic relation between alopecia areata and the finger print dermatoglyphics.</span>