Abstract
AIM: To analyze and compare digital dermatoglyphic patterns in patients with oral leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis and their role as noninvasive diagnostic tool. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred patients were segregated into four groups of 50 patients each with oral leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, and patients with habits but no lesions were included. They were compared with 50 subjects without habits and without lesions. The study was undertaken to investigate the association of palmar dermatoglyphics with leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis. Palm and fingerprints were taken using digital method which were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS: The present study found increase in frequency of whorls, palmar patterns in I(2)-I(3) area, total finger ridge count, total triradius count and decrease in atd angle with the absence a-b ridge count in patients with oral leukoplakia and OSMF. CONCLUSION: Thus, with the study of peculiar changes in digital dermatoglyphic patterns in patients with oral leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis, early detection and preventive measures can be instituted in normal individuals having habit history without lesions to prevent the occurrence and progression of these potentially malignant disorders.