Autonomic Function Tests in Primary Hyperhidrosis

Choi, Yong Min; Park, Min Kyu; Lee, Dae Hie; Park, Kun Woo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The cause of essential hyperhidrosis and its relationship to autonomic dysfunction are still uncertain. Autonomic function test in essential hyperhidrosis has been rarely studied and the results are variable. So we studied the systemic autonomic function test in patients with essential hyperhidrosis.
METHODS
We studied twenty-five patients with hyperhidrosis and thirty-eight healthy age-matched controls from August 1999 to July 2000. The amount of hydra-tion was measured by semi-quantitative method. The autonomic function test consists of four items; sympathetic skin response, heart rate variation with respiration, valsalva ratio, blood pressure and heart rate variation with position. We also checked BDI (Beck Depressive Inventory) and STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) to evaluate the psychological factor affecting the hyperhidrosis.
RESULTS
The amount of hydration was significantly increased in patients with essen-tial hyperhidrosis. The latency and amplitude of sympathetic skin response show no difference between two groups. There is no significant change in heart rate variation with respiration, valsalva ratio and blood pressure and heart rate variation with posture in essential hyperhidrosis patients. However, the mean STAI score of hyperhidrosis patients is higher compared to the normal population.
CONCLUSIONS
The systemic autonomic function test of essential hyperhidro-sis patients shows no significant abnormality in our study, but emotional factors such as anxiety should be considered in essential hyperhidrosis. And more specialized studies should be designed to identify the systemic autonomic function in essential hyperhidrosis.