Thoracic sympathetic block by clamping for treatment of hyperhidrosis

Abstract

BACKGROUND - Videothoracoscopic for the treatment of hyperhidrosis is carried out by clamping of the sympathetic trunk, with a possibility for reversal in cases of intense compensatory sweating. OBJECTIVE - To evaluate therapeutic success, satisfaction, and compensatory sweating in patients submitted to this technique. METHOD - Prospective study in which 45 patients were divided into two groups. Group I: one patient with palmar hyperhidrosis and 20 patients with palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis submitted to a T3 block; Group II: four patients with axillary hyperhidrosis, two with axillary and palmar hyperhidrosis, two with axillary and plantar hyperhidrosis, and 16 with axillary, palmar, and plantar hyperhidrosis submitted to a block of T3 and T4. RESULTS - In Group I, 95.2% of the patients had palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis, and in Group II, 66.7% had axillary, palmar, and plantar hyperhidrosis. For the palmar region, excellent or good results occurred in 95.3% of Group I and in 94.4% of Group II; in the plantar region, 40% of Group I and 44.5% of Group II presented good results; in the axillary region, 95.8% reported excellent or good results. In six months, 76.2% of Group I and 91.7% of Group II had experienced compensatory sweating, but intense compensatory sweating occurred in only three patients of Group II. CONCLUSIONS - This treatment proved to be effective for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. At the end of six months, all patients from Group I and 95.9% of the patients from Group II were satisfied with the results. ©2006 by Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia.