1.Diagnosis, impact and management of hyperhidrosis including endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy
Yan Le Ho ; Mohd Fauzi Jamaluddin ; Sotheenathan Krishinan ; Basheer Ahamed Abdul Kareem
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2020;75(5):555-560
Introduction: Hyperhidrosis is a disorder of excessive and
uncontrollable sweating beyond the body’s physiological
needs. It can be categorised into primary or secondary
hyperhidrosis based on its aetiology. Detailed history review
including onset of symptoms, laterality of disease and
family history are crucial which may suggest primary
hyperhidrosis. Secondary causes such as neurological
diseases, endocrine disorders, haematological
malignancies, neuroendocrine tumours and drugs should be
adequately examined and investigated prior to deciding on
further management. The diagnosis of primary
hyperhidrosis should only be made only after excluding
secondary causes. Hyperhidrosis is a troublesome disorder
that often results in social, professional, and psychological
distress in sufferers. It remains, however, a treatment
dilemma among some healthcare providers in this region.
Methods: The medical records and clinical outcomes of 35
patients who underwent endoscopic thoracic
sympathectomy for primary hyperhidrosis from 2008 to 2018
in Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery were reviewed.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 27±10.1years,
with male and female distribution of 18 and 17, respectively.
Fifty-one percent of patients complained of palmar
hyperhidrosis, while 35% of them had concurrent palmaraxillary and 14% had palmar-plantar-axillary hyperhidrosis.
Our data showed that 77% (n=27) of patients were not
investigated for secondary causes of hyperhidrosis, and
they were not counselled on the non-surgical therapies. All
patients underwent single-staged bilateral endoscopic
thoracic sympathectomy. There was resolution of symptoms
in all 35 (100%) patients with palmar hyperhidrosis, 13(76%)
patients with axillary hyperhidrosis and only 2 (50%)
patients with plantar hyperhidrosis. Postoperatively 34.3%
(n=12) of patients reported compensatory hyperhidrosis.
There were no other complications such as pneumothorax,
chylothorax, haemothorax and Horner’s Syndrome.
Conclusion: Clinical evaluation of hyperhidrosis in local
context has not been well described, which may
inadvertently result in the delay of appropriate management,
causing significant social and emotional embarrassment
and impair the quality of life of the subjects. Detailed clinical
assessment and appropriate timely treatment, be it surgical
or non-surgical therapies, are crucial in managing this
uncommon yet distressing disease.