Hypohidrosis is a disorder in which a person exhibits diminished sweating in response to appropriate stimuli. In contrast with
hyp''er''hidrosis, which is a socially troubling yet often
benign condition, the consequences of untreated hypohidrosis include
hyperthermia
Hyperthermia, also known simply as overheating, is a condition in which an individual's body temperature is elevated beyond normal due to failed thermoregulation. The person's body produces or absorbs more heat than it dissipates. When extrem ...
, heat stroke and death.
An extreme case of hypohidrosis in which there is a complete absence of sweating and the skin is dry is termed anhidrosis.
Causes
Diagnosis
Sweat is readily visualized by a topical indicator such as iodinated starch (
Minor test
The Minor test (also known as Minor's test, the starch–iodine test, and the iodine–starch test), described by Victor Minor in 1928, is a qualitative medical test that is used to evaluate sudomotor function ( perspiration or sweating).
Metho ...
) or sodium alizarin sulphonate, both of which undergo a dramatic colour change when moistened by sweat. A thermoregulatory sweat test can evaluate the body’s response to a thermal stimulus by inducing sweating through a hot box ⁄ room, thermal blanket or exercise. Failure of the topical indicator to undergo a colour change during thermoregulatory sweat testing indicates hypohidrosis, and further tests may be required to localize the
lesion
A lesion is any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by disease or trauma. ''Lesion'' is derived from the Latin "injury". Lesions may occur in plants as well as animals.
Types
There is no designated classif ...
.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and ⁄ or spinal cord is the best modality for evaluation when the lesion is suspected to be localized to the
central nervous system
The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all p ...
.
Skin biopsies are useful when anhidrosis occurs as part of a
dermatological disorder. Biopsy results may reveal the sweat gland destruction,
necrosis or
fibrosis, in addition to the findings of the primary dermatological disorder.
Management
The treatment options for hypohidrosis and anhidrosis are limited. Those with hypohidrosis should avoid drugs that can aggravate the condition (see "Medications", under ). They should limit activities that raise the core body temperature and if exercises are to be performed, they should be supervised and be performed in a cool, sheltered and well-ventilated environment. In instances where the cause is known, treatment should be directed at the primary pathology. In autoimmune diseases, such as
Sjögren syndrome and
systemic sclerosis, treatment of the underlying disease using
immunosuppressive drugs may lead to improvement in hypohidrosis. In neurological diseases, the primary pathology is often irreversible. In these instances, prevention of further neurological damage, such as good glycaemic control in
diabetes, is the cornerstone of management. In
acquired generalized anhidrosis, spontaneous remission may be observed in some cases. Numerous cases have been reported to respond effectively to systemic
corticosteroids. Although an optimum dose and regime has not been established, pulse
methylprednisolone (up to 1000 mg/day) has been reported to have good effect.
Citations
General references
* http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anhidrosis/DS01050
*
{{Medical resources
, DiseasesDB = 21064
, ICD10 = {{ICD10, L, 74, 4, l, 60
, ICD9 = {{ICD9, 705.0
, MeshID = D007007
Body fluids
Excretion
Reflexes