CONGENITAL ABSENCE OF DERMATOGLYPHS

Congenital absence or unusual patterns of human dermatoglyphs (fingerp rints) occur in several syndromes that are rare and poorly understood. The abnormalities of dermatoglyphs fall into four categories: complet e absence, ridge-hypoplasia, ridge dissociation, and ridges-off-the-en d. Complete congenital absence of ridges is an exceedingly rare syndro me that consists of neonatal blisters and milia, adult traumatic blist ering and fissuring, absence of sweating, contracture of digits, and a bsence of dermatoglyphs on the hands and feet. The syndrome is inherit ed in an autosomal dominant pattern, and only two kindreds have been d escribed in the literature. We describe a newly identified patient and kindred with findings similar to the previously reported cases and re view the clinical and histopathologic findings of this syndrome.