Triad of Cheiloscopy, Dactyloscopy, and Blood Groups: Does it Signify Anything?

BACKGROUND: The knowledge and importance of blood groups emerged from transfusion medicine and its relation with certain malignancies has been proven. Its importance in forensic medicine was brought to light when its association was found with the distribution of finger patterns. Thus, few studies exist proving the relationship between dactyloscopy and blood groups. Cheiloscopy on other hand is the study of the irregularities present on the lips forming a unique arrangement called the prints of the lip. AIM: Our paper aims at elucidating any unique combination if any that exists between prints on lips, prints of fingers, and blood grouping in a specific population, which might help in the identification of an individual. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 subjects of age varying from 15 to 40 years were included in the study. Subjects comprised of 50 males and 50 females. All the subjects were examined and their prints of lips along with prints of their fingers were taken. Blood groups were determined for each patient using the ABO system. RESULTS: Type I was found to be the predominant pattern of lips and whorl arrangement was the most recorded type of fingerprint in males whereas Type II arrangement along with loop prints of fingers was most observed in the case of females. The most common blood group in males was B+ and in females was O+ . Correlation between three parameters was obtained by Pearson correlation statistical analysis. CONCLUSION: The prints of the lips and fingers of an individual have never been similar and they tend to remain the same from a person’s birth until his death. An association between the three things of an individual that is prints of lips, fingers, and his blood group has been tried to be elucidated through the present research to aid in forensic identification.