The effects of sympathectomy ganglion levels on late complications in the treatment of hyperhidrosis

J Minim Access Surg. 2024 Nov 29. doi: 10.4103/jmas.jmas_75_24. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Pathologically excessive sweating in areas such as the palmar, axillary and/or plantar together with sympathetic hyperactivity that occurs independently of systemic causes is called primary hyperhidrosis. Although primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis can be seen at any age, the disease is most commonly seen in adolescents and young adults. The frequency of male and female genders is usually equal. Some medical and minimally invasive methods can be used in the treatment of primary hyperhidrosis. However, the known curative gold standard treatment method for the disease is thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomy operation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, a total of 150 patients who applied to Trakya University Health Practice and Research Center, Department of Thoracic Surgery, between 15 October 2008 and 15 June 2021 and underwent thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomy due to the diagnosis of hyperhidrosis were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were separated into two groups. Thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomy was performed on the T2-T4 in the first group (Group I – n : 88) and on the T3-T5 sympathetic ganglions in the second group (Group II – n : 62).

RESULTS: The median age of patients included in the study was found to be 24 (20.75-28) years. Group I and Group II were similar in terms of gender characteristics, but Group II was older. Our success rate was found to be 92% ( n = 138). There was no mortality, major complication such as bleeding requiring open thoracotomy, chylothorax or Horner’s syndrome in any of the patients. Minor complications were seen in the early and late period of the operation at a low rate. Our overall compensatory hyperhidrosis rate was 52% ( n = 78). Compensatory hyperhidrosis was detected more in Group I, although this was not statistically significant. We determined the overall satisfaction rate of our patients as 87.3% ( n = 133). The satisfaction rates of the patients in Group I and Group II were found to be similar.

CONCLUSIONS: Thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is a fast, safe and minimally invasive treatment method with a low complication rate. More than 90% success and a significant increase in psychosocial condition and professional quality of life can be achieved with this procedure. Future studies are needed to reveal the relationship between operated ganglion levels and the development of compensatory hyperhidrosis.

PMID:39611563 | DOI:10.4103/jmas.jmas_75_24

Sexual effects and long-term outcomes of endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy for plantar hyperhidrosis in men: a cross-sectional study

J Vasc Bras. 2024 Sep 27;23:e20240014. doi: 10.1590/1677-5449.202400142. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Plantar hyperhidrosis (PHH) is a disease with high psychosocial impact, and endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy (ELS) has been shown to be the best choice for treatment, but with some concerns such as compensatory sweating (CS) and sexual effects (SE), particularly in men.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of ELS for controlling PHH in men, its side effects, and perceived sexual modifications.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study including only male patients operated for PHH with ELS between 2014-2022 at a private practice. During remote interviews, patients were asked about symptoms before and after ELS and about the postoperative effects on PHH. They were also objectively asked about any SE during the postoperative period. Validated quality of life for hyperhidrosis and erectile function questionnaires were also administered.

RESULTS: 10 male patients averaging 4.26±2.86 years post-ELS were interviewed. Eight of them (80%) achieved complete response (≥80% of sweat reduction) in the first month after surgery and this response was maintained up to the interview date. Two patients had partial response. In six patients, CS occurred, with 5 reporting it as non-troublesome. Six patients reported some type of SE, but none reported erectile dysfunction. Regarding the functional results, all patients rated ELS from good (10%) to very good (30%) or excellent (60%).

CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy was effective for treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis in these patients, improving their quality of life and providing lasting PHH control, with some transient sexual dysfunctions that did not impair their sexual life.

PMID:39421693 | PMC:PMC11486464 | DOI:10.1590/1677-5449.202400142

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Addressability to Treatment of Children with Hyperhidrosis-A Retrospective Study and a Short Review

Life (Basel). 2024 Aug 10;14(8):995. doi: 10.3390/life14080995.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This study was carried out to demonstrate the negative influence that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the ability of patients to treat hyperhidrosis with iontophoresis. The purpose of this study is to identify the annual distribution of patients with hyperhidrosis as well as elaborate a curve of cases within the time interval studied.

METHODS: It is a retrospective study initiated in the Department of Neuropsychomotor Rehabilitation of the “Sf. Ioan” Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, Galati, Romania, in which we analyzed the electronic database, the treatment, and the consultation files of all the children who presented between January 2013 and December 2023. We found 111 patients who met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS: During the 3 years of the pandemic, the number of patients who came to our clinic suddenly dropped to 0.

LIMITATIONS: This study was conducted on a relatively small number of patients in a Neuropsychomotor Recovery clinic. This study includes only patients with palmar and/or plantar hyperhidrosis who presented to the clinic for iontophoresis.

CONCLUSION: Although it is a disease that significantly influences the quality of life, patients and their families do not consider hyperhidrosis to be an urgent problem that can be improved by treatment.

PMID:39202737 | DOI:10.3390/life14080995

Botulinum Toxin A and B for Palmoplantar Hyperhidrosis

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2024 Mar 1. doi: 10.1007/s13555-024-01113-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Hyperhidrosis is characterized by unpredictable, uncontrollable and excessive sweating. It occurs at rest and is not related to temperature. Hyperhidrosis is a common disorder that has a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). The aim of this quality assurance study was to investigate how treatment of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) and botulinum toxin B (BTX-B) led to improvement of patient reported outcome measures related to QoL.

METHODS: A total of 35 patients with palmar and/or plantar hyperhidrosis who had received BTX-A (Dysport®) and BTX-B (NeuroBloc®) for palmar hyperhidrosis and BTX-B for plantar hyperhidrosis were included in this study. In total, palms were injected with a median dose (low to high) of 400 (100-550) units BTX-A and a median dose (low to high) of 200 (200-500) units. BTX-B was used in the thenar and hypothenar areas to avoid muscle weakness. In the soles a total median dose (low to high) of 600 (475-1000) units BTX-B was injected.

RESULTS: At follow-up 2 weeks post-treatment, patients’ Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score improved from 13 to 2 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: We found that BTX-A and BTX-B treatment for palmar hyperhidrosis and BTX-B treatment for plantar hyperhidrosis led to a substantial improvement of QoL.

PMID:38424385 | DOI:10.1007/s13555-024-01113-3

Enhancing Quality of Life: Pre- and Postoperative Assessment in Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis Patients

Cureus. 2023 Nov 28;15(11):e49588. doi: 10.7759/cureus.49588. eCollection 2023 Nov.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize patients, describe surgical complications, and evaluate the pre- and postoperative quality of life (QOL) of individuals who underwent surgery for primary hyperhidrosis (PHH).

METHODS: A prospective, non-randomized, uncontrolled study was conducted, documenting cases of patients undergoing surgery for PHH at a reference center in La Habana, Cuba, from January 2016 to December 2022.

RESULTS: A total of 49 cases were described, with a median age of 16 years; 59.1% were female. The most common presentation was palmar-plantar-axillary, observed in 53% of cases. The palmar presentation was more frequent in female patients (p<0.05). Within 24 hours post-procedure, 85.7% of patients showed dryness in the palmar and axillary areas, with surgical complications occurring in 14.3% of cases (intercostal neuritis, pneumothorax, and hemothorax). CH of some form was recorded in 89.8% of cases. At least 30 days after the surgery, 95.9% of the patients reported a significant improvement in their QOL.

CONCLUSION: Thoracic sympathectomy is an efficient and safe method for treating hyperhidrosis in adolescents, leading to an enhanced QOL. However, this study reported a higher incidence of complications, particularly CH, compared to previous national and international studies.

PMID:38156137 | PMC:PMC10754539 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.49588

A multicenter retrospective study of lumbar sympathectomy for plantar hyperhidrosis: satisfaction and postoperative complications

Clin Exp Dermatol. 2023 Nov 15:llad373. doi: 10.1093/ced/llad373. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Primary plantar hyperhidrosis has a severe impact on quality of life and conservative treatments are only effective in the short-term. Thoracic sympathectomy has proven its effectiveness in the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis, but lumbar sympathectomy for plantar hyperhidrosis remains poorly described. The objective of this study is to report the satisfaction of treated patients as well as the postoperative complications. This was a multicenter retrospective observational study of sixteen patients with primary plantar hyperhidrosis, treated with mechanical lumbar sympathectomy from December 2012 to October 2022. Patients’ characteristics were collected from medical records. Quality of life, postoperative satisfaction and complications were evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. Lumbar sympathectomy was performed on 16 patients, fourteen were women and two were men with a total of thirty-one procedures. 87.5% of patients were satisfied and would recommend the surgery to other patients. Compensatory hyperhidrosis occured in 75% of patients, recurrence of hyperhidrosis in 31.3% and sexual dysfunction in 18.8%. Lumbar sympathectomy provides satisfying results for plantar hyperhidrosis with acceptable postoperative complications, regardless of gender. Compensatory hyperhidrosis was the most frequent complication but had no impact on patient satisfaction. Data on the risk of sexual dysfunction are reassuring, with only one case of transient ejaculation disorder.

PMID:37966306 | DOI:10.1093/ced/llad373

Management of primary plantar hyperhidrosis with botulinum toxin type A: A retrospective case series of 129 patients

Australas J Dermatol. 2023 Nov 14. doi: 10.1111/ajd.14188. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To date, scientific data on the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) for primary plantar hyperhidrosis (PPH) are mainly derived from case reports and small case series. Herein, we sought to assess the efficacy and safety of BoNT-A for PPH on a large series of patients.

METHODS: Medical records of patients who were referred to the outpatient department for hyperhidrosis of a tertiary care hospital and received BoNT-A for PPH from March 2003 until December 2022 were reviewed.

RESULTS: A total of 129 patients [12 males, 117 females; median age 32 years (range, 16-72)] were included in the study, after excluding 24 patients with insufficient documented follow-up data. Most patients [115 (89.1%)] received onabotulinumtoxin-A, nine (7.0%) abobotulinumtoxin-A and five (3.9%) both in subsequent sessions. The mean number of sessions was 2.02 [standard deviation (SD), 2.29] and the mean duration of response 6.16 months (SD, 4.01). The percentage of response, as evaluated by Minor’s test, was 71.67%, 63.44%, 47.78% and 34.13% after 1, 3, 6 and 9 months, respectively. Most patients were satisfied (21.7%) or very satisfied (58.9%) with the treatment. No serious side effects were reported.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this retrospective study suggest that BoNT-A is an effective and safe treatment option for PPH.

PMID:37964488 | DOI:10.1111/ajd.14188

Efficacy of 5% sofpironium bromide gel in Duchenne muscular dystrophy with palmoplantar hyperhidrosis: A retrospective case study

J Dermatol. 2023 Oct 5. doi: 10.1111/1346-8138.16990. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe, progressive, muscle-wasting disease. Notably, several extramuscular manifestations and complications of advanced DMD, including skin disorders, are known. However, hyperhidrosis and its treatment have not been well-described in association with advanced DMD, therefore we aimed to confirm the efficacy of 5% sofpironium bromide gel in treating secondary hyperhidrosis in patients with advanced DMD. We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced DMD who underwent treatment with 5% sofpironium bromide gel. All patients were evaluated using the hyperhidrosis disease severity scale (HDSS) score and by measuring the gravimetric weight of palmar and/or plantar sweat. Three patients with advanced DMD were treated and the patients were aged 28, 31, and 32 years, respectively. Their HDSS scores showed a decreasing tendency within 5 weeks after treatment. In addition, all patients had a decreased gravimetric weight of palmar and/or plantar sweat, and the mean decrease rate of palmar sweat at 7 weeks after treatment was 53.7%. One patient had skin dryness on both soles, but no serious adverse events were observed. Treatment using 5% sofpironium bromide gel showed beneficial efficacy against palmoplantar hyperhidrosis in patients with advanced DMD. These findings warrant further investigation in future studies.

PMID:37795807 | DOI:10.1111/1346-8138.16990