| Single transverse palmar crease | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Simian crease, simian line |
 | |
| Single transverse palmar crease on an infant's hand | |
| Specialty | Medical genetics |
In humans, asingle transverse palmar crease is a single crease that extends across the palm of thehand, formed by the fusion of the twopalmar creases. Although it is found more frequently in persons with several abnormal medical conditions, it is not predictive of any of these conditions since it is also found in persons with no abnormal medical conditions. It is found on at least one hand in 1.5% of the world's population.[1]
Because it resembles the usual condition of non-humansimians, it was, in the past, called thesimian crease orsimian line. These terms have widely fallen out of favor due to their pejorative connotation.[2]
The presence of a single transverse palmar crease has no medical significance. It is found in 1.5% of all people, and though it is found at a higher frequency in people with abnormal medical conditions, in every one of these conditions, many people do not have a single transverse palmar crease. Thus, it has a low predictive value.
Males are twice as likely as females to have this characteristic, which tends to run in families. In its non-symptomatic form, it is more common among Asians and Native Americans than among other populations, and in some families, there is a tendency to inherit the condition unilaterally; that is, on one hand, only.[citation needed]
While it is often found in people with Down Syndrome,[3] many who have this syndrome do not have this crease, and thus is not a diagnostic indicator of Down Syndrome.
The presence of a single transverse palmar has been associated with several abnormal medical conditions—that is, it is found at a higher than 1.5% frequency, but in all of these conditions, many do not have this crease. Examples of conditions with such an association arefetal alcohol syndrome and the genetic chromosomal abnormalities, such asDown syndrome (chromosome 21),cri du chat syndrome (chromosome 5),Klinefelter syndrome,Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome,Noonan syndrome (chromosome 12),Patau syndrome (chromosome 13),IDIC 15/Dup15q (chromosome 15),Edward's syndrome (chromosome 18), andAarskog–Scott syndrome (X-linked recessive), or autosomal recessive disorder, such asleukocyte adhesion deficiency-2 (LAD2).[4] A unilateral single palmar crease was also reported in a case ofchromosome 9 mutation causingnevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome andRobinow syndrome.[5] It is also sometimes found on the hands of the affected side of patients withPoland syndrome andcraniosynostosis.
A 1971 study refutes the hypothesis that the phenomenon is caused by fetal hand movement: the appearance of the crease occurs around the second month of gestation before the digital movement phase in the womb begins.[6]
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