BACKGROUND: Thoracic sympathetic block surgery is a safe and effective procedure for palmar hyperhydrosis, and this maintains sufficient moisture and prevents compensatory hyperhidrosis. To avoid compensatory hyperhidrosis, the authors performed sympathetic block surgery just above the R4 level to maintain sympathetic tone affecting the caudal area. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of 71 subjects (45 males and 26 females) were categorized into two groups. Group 1 (31 patients, mean age: 25.5 years) had clips placed both on the upper and lower part of R4 sympathetic ganglion, and group 2 (40 patients, mean age: 25.9 years) underwent clipping of the upper part of R4. Telephone surveys were done to collect data on 8 categories, and the average follow up interval was 24.9 months (group 1) and 18.9 months (group 2). RESULT: For group 1, 41.9% experienced no sweating and 48.4% replied they experienced some sweating depending on the surrounding conditions. Group 2 showed that 60% experienced no sweating and 35% replied they experienced some sweating depending on the surrounding conditions. 58.1% in group 1 experienced sweating right after the surgery, and 40.0% in group 2 experienced the same. Group 1 (38.1%) and group 2 (37.5%) replied they experienced no hand dryness and more patients in group 2 than in group 1 had hand dryness, but without uncomfortable symptoms. 71.0% (group 1) and 62.5% (group 2) replied they had no compensatory hyperhidrosis or related symptoms. One patient in group 1 and two in group 2 reported they regretted undergoing the procedure. The regions of compensatory hyperhidrosis were the back, thigh and chest in group 1 and the group 2 reported the back, chest, and abdomen in the order of frequency. Fewer incidences of the gustatory hyperhidrosis were noted in group 2. Most of the patients were satisfied with their treatment. CONCLUSION: Clipping the upper part of the R4 ganglion or R4 sympathetic block are both effective for treating palmar hyperhidrosis and these treatments decrease the occurrence or symptoms of compensatory hyperhidrosis. The upper R4 sympathetic block procedure is easier and safer with fewer incidences of gustatory hyperhidrosis and a higher percentage of patient satisfaction.
Abdomen ; Endoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglia, Sympathetic ; Ganglion Cysts ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Incidence ; Male ; Patient Satisfaction ; Reflex ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Sweating, Gustatory ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; Telephone ; Thigh ; Thorax

The concept of oligometastasis is widely accepted for various types of solid tumors; accordingly, better outcomes can be anticipated with aggressive local interventions. The treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with extrahepatic metastasis is systemic therapy. However, treatment responses to systemic therapy are poor. Recently, a small number of metastatic cancers (oligometastasis) have been controlled by local therapy rather than systemic therapy. Our study reports a case of a 66-year-old male patient with advanced HCC with lung metastasis, which was treated with local therapy. There were less than four metastases in the lungs, which were treated with wedge resection, radiofrequency, and radiation therapy. He repeatedly underwent local therapy for lung oligometastasis and locoregional therapy for intrahepatic HCC rather than systemic therapy; control by local therapy was possible as his liver function was preserved with Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A.