A dermatoglyphic study of 219 Italian schizophrenic males.

The quantitative and qualitative finger and palm ridge characteristics of a sample of Italian schizophrenic males showed minor deviations which were neither pathognomonic of the illness as a whole, nor of its Leonhard sub-groups. In essence there was a slight tendency for an increase in finger loops, particularly on middle fingers, with a decrease of whorls, and the palmar ridges tended to a more transverse course than usual. Compared with two sets of controls there was an excess of short schizophrenic males.