A 62-year-old Singaporean man was detained while entering the U.S. last month when a routine fingerprint scan showed that he actually had none, the Scientific American reports. The man suffered from cancer and had been on chemotherapy. “As it turns out, the drug, capecitabine (brand name, Xeloda) had given him a moderate case of something known as hand–foot syndrome (aka chemotherapy-induced acral erythema), which can cause swelling, pain, and peeling on the palms and soles of the feet—and apparently, loss of fingerprints.”
The man, who was eventually admitted into the country, had not noticed the loss of his fingerprints before his trip. Though the condition is rare, his doctor was able to find mentions of other such incidents on line. With biometrics being used increasingly for security and identification, these rare incidents could become significant.
