Parathenar palmar pattern: a dermatoglyphic sign of possible clinical significance.

The frequency of a 'double proximal axial triradius' (DPAT), which results in 
a palmar parathenar pattern, has been reported to be increased in 
those with ventricular septal defect (BSD). We scored the presence of 
this pattern in 313 patients with congenital heart defects (including 86 
with isolated VSD), 176 with cystic fibrosis (CF) or relatives of 
those with CF, and 333 with no known clinical disease who 
were unrelated to individuals with CF. The frequencies in these three 
groups were 1.6, 2.3, and 0.6%, respectively. None of those with 
isolated VSD defect had a DPAT. All five individuals in the 
heart defect group with a DPAT had pulmonic stenosis. Of the 
total of eleven individuals in our series with DPAT patterns, eight 
were affected only on the right hand. The frequency of DPAT 
in individuals with no known disease in this series was 4/406=1.0%, 
more than double the frequency in a control series, published previously 
by DAVID, 5/1,129=0.4%. If the 73 relatives of those with CF 
are excluded from our own 'control' group, the frequency of DPAT 
in this group is then 0.6%, closer to the results in 
DAVID's control series. 