Background: Primary focal hyperhidrosis (PH) can be managed by a wide range of medical and surgical modalities. Compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) is a well-documented complication of surgical treatment. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) in PH patients after nonsurgical treatment with botulinum toxin A (BTX- A) or iontophoresis.
Methodology: We carried out a unicentric prospective study on PH patients from King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) in Jordan. PH patients were evaluated after 1-month of nonsurgical treatment. Patients who developed CH were re-assessed after 3-6 months through a telephone-based interview.
Results: A total of 86 patients with PH who underwent nonsurgical treatment with iontophoresis or botulinum toxin were recruited. Twenty-four (27.9%) patients developed subjective CH. It was mild in (75%), moderate in (21%), and severe in (4%) of patients affected, it was self-limiting within a few months in all patients. Patients with CH did not differ significantly in demographic or clinical variables from patients who did not develop CH except at the site of PH (p value = .05).
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that more than quarter (27.9%) of patients with PH may develop minor compensatory sweating, however this didn't affect satisfaction with treatment.
Keywords: botulinum Toxin A; compensatory hyperhidrosis; iontophoresis; primary hyperhidrosis.