Question:

I would like to know if the simian line can be inherited. I have the line on my right hand, my brother on both palms,my son on both palms and my son`s 8 year old on both palms? Regards

Answer:

A single palmar crease (also called a simian crease) is a single crease across the palm of the hand which can be a normal variation of palmar creases. Most people have 2 creases.

About 4% of the general population has a single palmar crease on one hand and about 1% will have it on both palms. And they can run in families – most of the time they are considered to be multifactorial – an interaction between genes and the environment during prenatal development. But it has been seen in some families that the trait has been inherited from one generation to the next or what is called autosomal dominant inheritance. In this case, someone with the trait has a 50-50 chance of passing the trait on to any child they have. It appears this may be the case in your family.

Single palmar creases can be seen with birth defects and some genetic syndromes as well. But in these cases, the person would also have other problems.

For more information:

Go to the Inherited Disorders and Birth Defects health topic.