Arch Plast Surg.  2013 Jul;40(4):440-444. 10.5999/aps.2013.40.4.440.

Minimal Subdermal Shaving by Means of Sclerotherapy Using Absolute Ethanol: A New Method for the Treatment of Axillary Osmidrosis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. wisethoth@hotmail.com

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Axillary osmidrosis is characterized by unpleasant odors originating from the axillary apocrine glands, resulting in psychosocial stress. The main treatment modality is apocrine gland removal. Until now, of the various surgical techniques have sometimes caused serious complications. We describe herein the favorable outcomes of a new method for ablating apocrine glands by minimal subdermal shaving using sclerotherapy with absolute ethanol.
METHODS
A total of 12 patients underwent the procedure. The severity of osmidrosis was evaluated before surgery. Conventional subdermal shaving was performed on one side (control group) and ablation by means of minimal subdermal shaving and absolute ethanol on the other side (study group). Postoperative outcomes were compared between the study and control groups.
RESULTS
The length of time to removal of the drain was 1 day shorter in the study group than in the control group. There were no serious complications, such as hematoma or seroma, in either group, but flap margin necrosis and flap desquamation occurred in the control group, and were successfully managed with conservative treatment. Six months after surgery, we and our patients were satisfied with the outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
Sclerotherapy using absolute ethanol combined with minimal subdermal shaving may be useful for the treatment of axillary osmidrosis. It can reduce the incidence of seroma and hematoma and allow the skin flap to adhere to its recipient site. It can degrade and ablate the remaining apocrine glands and eliminate causative organisms. Furthermore, since this technique is relatively simple, it takes less time than the conventional method.

Keyword

Apocrine glands; Axilla; Ethanol; Odors; Sclerotherapy

MeSH Terms

Apocrine Glands
Axilla
Ethanol
Hematoma
Humans
Incidence
Necrosis
Odors
Sclerotherapy
Seroma
Skin
Ethanol
Full Text Links
  • APS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr