Polydactyly and psychosis. Five cases of co-occurrence.
BACKGROUND
Abnormalities presumed to occur during foetal life have been associated with schizophrenia. Polydactyly is a developmental abnormality but no previous association has been reported between polydactyly and functional psychotic illness.


METHODS
Individuals with both polydactyly and a functional psychosis were ascertained during a study of familial schizophrenia.


RESULTS
Five such individuals were ascertained in the course of assessing 234 individuals with familial psychosis, giving a rate of polydactyly in the sample of around 10 times the general population rate.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides preliminary evidence that polydactyly is over-represented in individuals with familial schizophrenia and related psychotic illnesses.
Cardno
A G
AG
University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff.
Murphy
K C
KC
Jones
L A
LA
Cobb
A M
AM
Gray
J
J
McGuffin
P
P
Owen
M J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D017689:Polydactyly / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics