The Etiology of Primary Hyperhidrosis: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: Primary hyperhidrosis is a pathological disorder of unknown etiology, affecting 0.6-5% of the population, and causing severe functional and social handicaps. As the etiology is unknown, it is not possible to treat the root cause.

The History of Sympathetic Surgery.

At present, primary hyperhidrosis is the main indication for sympathectomy. For upper thoracic sympathetic ablation, excision of the second thoracic ganglion alone or with the first and/or third ganglia was the standard during the open surgery era. With the advent of thoracoscopy, modifications related to the level, extent, and type of ablation were proposed to attenuate compensatory hyperhidrosis.

Radiofrequency Thermotherapy for Treating Axillary Hyperhidrosis.

Background: Thermotherapy has been established between conservative and surgical options as a minimally invasive method for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to present radiofrequency thermotherapy (RFTT) as a safe and effective new treatment method.

Materials And Methods: Thirty adult patients with pronounced axillary hyperhidrosis were treated with RFTT with noninsulated microneedles 3 times at intervals of 6 weeks.

Temperature-controlled laser-soldering system and its clinical application for bonding skin incisions.

Laser tissue soldering is a method of repairing incisions. It involves the application of a biological solder to the approximated edges of the incision and heating it with a laser beam. A pilot clinical study was carried out on 10 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Thoracic sympathectomy: a review of current indications.

Background: Thoracic sympathetic ablation was introduced over a century ago. While some of the early indications have become obsolete, new ones have emerged. Sympathetic ablation is being still performed for some odd indications thus prompting the present study, which reviews the evidence base for current practice.

Thermal bile duct and duodenal protection during pancreatic cryoablation.

Aim: To examine whether thermo-perfusion of the bile duct and duodenum may protect these organs during cryoablation of adjacent pancreatic tissue.

Study Design: Cryoablation of the pancreatic tissue, adjacent to the common bile duct and duodenum was performed in two groups of pigs. In the experimental group, the bile duct and duodenum were protected during the cryo-procedure by intraluminal perfusion of warm saline.

Attempted reversible sympathetic ganglion block by an implantable neurostimulator.

Objective: Primary palmar hyperhidrosis is a pathological condition of excessive perspiration of the hands of unknown aetiology. The only effective treatment for permanent cure is the ablation of the sympathetic ganglia supplying the hands. One of the sequelae is compensatory sweating, namely increased perspiration in other parts of the body.

The correlation between the method of sympathetic ablation for palmar hyperhidrosis and the occurrence of compensatory hyperhidrosis: a review.

Background: Upper dorsal sympathectomy achieves excellent long-term results in the treatment of primary palmar hyperhidrosis. Compensatory hyperhidrosis (CHH) remains an unexplained sequel of this treatment, attaining in a small percentage of cases disastrous proportions. It has been claimed that lowering the level of sympathectomy (from T2 to T3 and even T4), substituting resection by other means of ablation, and limiting its extend reduce the occurrence of this sequel.

Validity of clinical criteria in the management of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography related duodenal perforations.

Objective: To assess the validity of predetermined clinical and radiologic criteria in the management of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related duodenal perforations (DPs).

Design: Prospective case series.

Setting: Tertiary medical facility.

Sentinel node detection in an animal study: evaluation of a new portable gamma camera.

We tested the capacity of a newly developed portable gamma camera to precisely locate sentinel nodes by injecting a radiotracer. Two sets of experiments were performed on eight pigs under general anesthesia. 99mTc-Nanocolloid and dye complex was injected in the submuscular layer of the small bowel in the first set and subcutaneously in the knee region in the second set of experiments.

Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for primary palmar hyperhidrosis: resection versus transection -- a prospective trial.

Upper dorsal sympathectomy is the only successful therapeutic method for idiopathic palmar hyperhidrosis (IPHH). However, the techniques for sympathetic ablation are still debated. The aim of this study was to compare prospectively two accepted methods for endoscopic sympathetic ablation: resection of T2-T3 ganglia versus transection of the chain over the second to fourth ribs.

A newly developed intra-operative gamma camera: performance characteristics in a laboratory phantom study.

Purpose: Radioguided surgery depends on the intra-operative detection of radiolabelled tissues. This is currently accomplished with hand tools capable of providing a tone signal, depending on the proximity and direction of a radioactive source in relation to the probe. The advantages of visual images of radiolabelled tissues are well recognised, but satisfactory means of acquiring such images intra-operatively are not yet available.