CHAPTER XCVII 



DYSIDROSES AND DYSTROPHIES 



Hyperidrosis — Bromidrosis — Chromidrosis, etc. — Dysidroses: Prickly heat — 

 Cheiropompholyx — Dysidrosis exfoliativa — Dystrophies : Leucoderma 

 — Albinism — Melung — Chloasma bronzinum — Dermatosis f estonata 

 frontalis — Dermatosis nigro-circinata — Ochrodermatosis — Melanonychia 

 — Xanthoderma areatum — Mongolian spots — Tattooing — Ainhum — Sym- 

 metrical palmar erythema — Acrodermatitis vesiculosa — References. 



HYPERIDROSIS. 



Remarks. — This condition, as well as bromidrosis, is a cosmopoli- 

 tan one, but for climatic reasons both are so common and important 

 in the tropics that a short account of them is given in this chapter. 



jSynonyms. — Idiopathic hyperidrosis, Idrosis, Polyidrosis. Ephi- 

 drosis Sudatoria. 



jSymptomatology, — Excessive perspiration may be generalized or 

 localized. In the latter case it is generally symmetrical, the regions 

 most frequently a^ffected being the axillary regions, hands, feet, 

 and genital regions. Other regions may be afected. In one of 

 our native assistants during the hot season there is an extremely 

 severe localized hyperidrosis of the anterior region of the neck, 

 the sweat falling down continually in large drops. 



Symptomatic Hyperidrosis. — This occurs in many tropical diseases, 

 especially in malaria, Malta fever, etc. Localized one-sided hyper- 

 idrosis has been observed by us in some cas.es of frambcesia. 



Prognosis. — In the idiopathic type the prognosis is good, the 

 condition disappearing when the hot season is over, but it is often 

 associated with prickly heat. 



Treatment. — For the general hyperidrosis common during the 

 hot season we are not in favour of any drastic internal treatment 

 such as the administration of belladonna. In fact, we think it 

 may be dangerous to stop suddenly this hyperidrosis, which is in 

 reality merely a physiological fact. For such cases we simply recom- 

 mend using some potassium permanganate, or cylhn, or a little 

 menthol alcoholic solution in the daily bath, and dusting of the 

 body with any simple antiseptic powder, such as zinc oxide, starch, 

 and boric acid in equal parts (see Prickly Heat, p. 2224). 



In really severe cases of generaHzed hyperidrosis, belladonna or 

 atropin may be administered; but they stop the secretion only 

 for a time, and must be pushed till unpleasant symptoms appear. 

 Sulphur and acid drinks have little effect, but they are harm- 



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