Genetic influence on the prevalence of torus palatinus

Torus palatinus (TP) represents a benign anatomic variation. It has been suggested that genetic factors play a leading role in its occurrence. The purpose of the present study was to determine, by segregation analysis, the inheritance of TP. Data were collected from members of 37 randomly selected Israel Jewish families and analyzed using the segregation analysis. Vertical transmission of TP was found in 19 families suggesting autosomal dominant transmission, which was supported by the results of the segregation analysis test. A significantly higher number of affected offspring (60.3%) was observed compared to the expected figure (50%) for an autosomal dominant trait with full penetrance. This is explained by the high gene frequency of TP and the relatively high proportion of homozygous parents.