%0 Journal Article
%T Quality of Life in Patients with Focal Hyperhidrosis before and after Treatment with Botulinum Toxin A
%A Anargyros Kouris
%A Kalliopi Armyra
%A Christos Christodoulou
%A Polixeni Karimali
%A Dimitrios Karypidis
%A George Kontochristopoulos
%J ISRN Dermatology
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/308650
%X The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of treatment with BTX-A in quality of life of patients suffering from primary focal hyperhidrosis. Materials and Methods. A total of 119 patients (62 females and 57 males) between 18 and 65 years suffering from moderate to severe focal hyperhidrosis were treated with BTX-A. Thirty-nine patients suffered from axillary hyperhidrosis, 47 patients from palmar hyperhidrosis, 12 patients from plantar hyperhidrosis, and 21 patients from palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis. A baseline and posttreated examination of patients 6 months after BTX-A is included. The Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) was chosen to assess the disease severity and the modified Dermatology Life Quality Index was used (DLQI) to assess the quality of life. Results. Quality of life showed a significant improvement after treatment with BTX-A. The total DLQI score resulted significantly lower than the basal value ( ). The seriousness of hyperhidrosis significantly decreased after the treatment ( ). In addition, there was notable difference between the posttreatment DLQI scores and pretreatment severity of hyperhidrosis by sex. Conclusions. Treatment with BTX-A led to the reduction of disease severity and improvement of quality of life, while it is a safe, easy to use method with minimal side effects. 1. Introduction Hyperhidrosis is a disorder characterized by excessive sweating, more than it is required for normal thermoregulation. Frequently, it interferes with patientsĄŻ daily activities and may lead to emotional problems in their professional and social life. It is estimated that hyperhidrosis affects 3% of the US population [1]. It is divided into primary and secondary type. Primary hyperhidrosis is localized to the palms, soles, axillae, and face. It is caused by intense emotion or stress and it affects patients mainly during waking hours. A family history appears in 60¨C80% of affected individuals. Secondary hyperhidrosis can be localized or generalized and is associated with another systemic disorder such as genetic syndromes, malignancy, infection, endocrine, vasomotor, neurologic disorders, and drugs. The majority of hyperhidrotic patients have normal morphology of sweat glands, but there is an abnormal response to stimulation of sweat glands by hypothalamus [2]. The treatment of hyperhidrosis includes topical therapy, iontophoresis, oral medications (anticholinergic, a-adrenergic blockers), and surgical therapy. Recently, BTX-A has been used for the treatment of primary focal hyperhidrosis with excellent efficacy, safety,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.dermatology/2014/308650/