Features of the Dermatoglyphic Foot Pattern in Suicider Males

Abstract

Since suicide is one of the most common types of violent death among people of working age (including military personnel) and children, it is necessary to conduct in-depth studies of the structure of skin patterns in a group of people with completed suicide in order to develop methods of active suicide prevention. In order to determine the propensity to commit suicide, the dermatoglyphs of the distal phalanges and metacarpal pads of the toes of 138 male subjects aged 18 to 59 years who committed suicide and 100 control subjects aged 18 to 59 years were studied. The type of pattern (arc, tibial or fibular loop, curl, complex pattern), delta and comb counts were determined. It was found that the suicide group differs from the control group mainly in a higher number of interruptions (ending X) of the main plantar lines A, B and C; an increase in the frequency of arc patterns on most toes of both feet with a degree of reliability; a decrease in the frequency of curls on the third toe of the left foot to 44.5±11.2 (p<0.001) and an increase in the frequency of this pattern on the second toes of both feet; an increase in the value of the comb count in the area of the tibial edge of the foot, with a decrease in the values near the fibular edge of the foot.