HARD PALATE SIZE AND SHAPE IN 47,XXY MALES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the size and shape of the ha rd palate of adult Croatian 47,XXY males to provide further informatio n on effects of sex chromosome's imbalance on the size and shape of pa late. The sample consisted of 32 males with 47,XYY and 80 control male s. Karyotyping was performed for 47,XXY males by cytogenetic tests at the Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University hospital ''Merhu r'' - Zagreb/Croatia. Differences between the groups increased towards the posterior segment and were statistically significant (t = 2,67; p <0.01) for width between the first molars in males with 47,XXY: The di fferences between groups for hard palate height were not significant. Results of the mean values of hard palate height in 47,XXY males were x = 18.57 and in controls x = 18.15. The mean values of hard palate le ngth in. 47, XXY males were x = 57.98 and in controls x = 59.98. The r atios for Lengths of the hard palate were significant (t = 2.12; p<0.0 5). Transverse groove shape (30.7%) and torus palatinus (19.2%) were m ore frequent in the 47,XXY males than that in the controls. The differ ences between groups are found to be statistically highly significant (p<0.01), Evidently, an increase in the number of sex chromosomes is r elated to dimensional and appearance changes in the hard palate.