Tatami Mats: A Source of Pitted Keratolysis in a Martial Arts Athlete?

Dear Editor, Pitted keratolysis (PK), also known as keratosis plantaris sulcatum, is a non-inflammatory, bacterial, superficial cutaneous infection, characterized by many discrete superficial crateriform ''pits'' and erosions in the thickly keratinized skin of the weight-bearing regions of the soles of the feet (1). The disease often goes unnoticed by the patient, but when it is noticed it is because of the unbearable malodor and hyperhidrosis of the feet, which are socially unacceptable and cause great anxiety to many of the patients. PK occurs worldwide, with the incidence rates varying based on the environment and occupation. The prevalence of this condition does not differ significantly based on age, sex, or race. People who sweat profusely or wash excessively, who wear occlusive footwear, or are barefoot especially in hot and humid weather are extremely prone to this condition (2). Physicians commonly misdiagnose it as tinea pedis or plantar warts. Treatment is quite simple and straightforward, with an excellent expected outcome if treated properly. We report a case of a 32-year-old male patient with skin changes of approximately one-year duration diagnosed as plantar verrucae, who was referred to our Department for cryotherapy. The patient presented with asymptomatic, malodorous punched-out pits and erosions along with hyperkeratotic skin on the heel and metatarsal region of the plantar aspect of both feet. The arches, toes, and sides of the feet were spared (Figure 1). Except for these skin changes, the patient was healthy and denied any other medical issues. He was an athlete active in martial arts and had a history of sweating of feet and training barefoot on the tatami mat for extended periods of time. The diagnosis of PK was established based on the clinical findings (crateriform pitting and malodor), negative KOH test for hyphae, and a history of prolonged sweating in addition to contact of the skin with tatami mats, which are often a source of infection if hygiene measures are not adequately implemented. Swabs could have been helpful to identify causative organisms, but they were not crucial for the diagnosis and treatment. The patient was prescribed with general measures to prevent excessive sweating (cotton socks, open footwear, and proper hygiene), antiseptic potassium permanganate foot soaks followed by clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% in a gel vehicle twice daily. At the one-month follow-up visit, the skin changes, hyperhidrosis, and malodor were entirely resolved (Figure 2). Pitted keratolysis is common among athletes (3,4). The manifestations of PK are due to a superficial cutaneous infection caused by several bacterial Gram-positive species including Corynebacterium species, Kytococcus sedentarius, Dermatophilus congolensis, Actynomices keratolytica, and Streptomyces that proliferate and produce proteinase and sulfur-compound by-products under appropriate moist conditions (5-7). Proteinases digest the keratin and destroy the stratum corneum, producing the characteristic skin findings, while sulfur compounds (sulfides, thiols, and thioesters) are responsible for the malodor. Athletes and soldiers who wear occlusive footwear for prolonged periods of time or even barefooted people that sweat extensively and spend time on wet surfaces such as laborers, farmers, and marine workers are more prone to this problem (3,4,8-11). Martial arts athletes are at greater risk of skin infections due to the constant physical contact that can lead to transmission of viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens directly but also indirectly through contact with the mat and the skin flora of an another infected individual. A national survey of the epidemiology of skin infections among US high school athletes conducted by Ashack et al. supported the prevalent theory that contact sports are associated with an increased risk of skin infections. In this study, wrestling had the highest skin infection rate of predominantly bacterial origin (53.8%), followed by tinea (35.7%) and herpetic lesions (6.7%), which is consistent with other literature reporting (12). Being barefoot on the tatami mat in combination with excessive sweating and non-compliance with hygiene measures makes martial arts athletes more susceptible to skin infections, including PK. The diagnosis is clinical, by means of visual examination and recognition of the characteristic odor. Dermoscopy can be useful, revealing abundant pits with well-marked walls that sometimes show the bacterial colonies (13). Cultures, if taken, show Gram-positive bacilli or coccobacilli. Because of the ease of diagnosis on clinical findings, biopsy of pitted keratolysis is rarely performed. Skin scraping is often performed to exclude tinea pedis, which is one of the main differential diagnosis, the others including verrucae, punctate palmoplantar keratoderma, keratolysis exfoliativa, circumscribed palmoplantar hypokeratosis, and basal cell nevus syndrome. If unrecognized and left untreated, skin findings and smelly feet can last for many years. Sometimes, if unrecognized, PK can be mistreated with antifungals, or even with aggressive treatment modalities such as cryotherapy. Appropriate treatment includes keeping feet dry with adequate treatment of hyperhidrosis, preventive measures, and topical antibiotic therapy. Topical forms of salicylic acid, sulfur, antibacterial soaps, neomycin, erythromycin, mupirocin, clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide, clotrimazole, imidazoles, and injectable botulinum toxin are all successful in treatment and prevention of PK (14,15). Topical antibiotics are the first line of medical treatment, among which fusidic acid, erythromycin 1% (solution or gel), mupirocin 2%, or clindamycin are the most recommended (14). As in our case, a fixed combination of two approved topical drugs - clindamycin 1%-benzoyl peroxide 5% gel, had been already demonstrated by Vlahovich et al. as an excellent treatment option with high adherence and no side-effect (16). The combined effect of this combination showed significantly greater effect due to the bactericidal and keratolytic properties of benzoyl peroxide. Additionally, this combination also lowers the risk of resistance of causative microorganisms to clindamycin. Skin infections are an important aspect of sports-related adverse events. Due to the interdisciplinary nature, dermatologists are not the only ones who should be aware of the disease, but also family medicine doctors, sports medicine specialists, and occupational health doctors who should educate patients about the etiology of the skin disorder, adequate prevention, and treatment. Athletes must enforce the disinfecting and sanitary cleaning of the tatami mats and other practice areas. Keeping up with these measures could significantly limit the spread of skin infections that can infect athletes indirectly, leading to significant morbidity, time loss from competition, and social anxiety as well.

The clinical study of the optimalization of surgical treatment and the traditional Chinese medicine intervention on palmar hyperhidrosis.

To analyze the efficacy of different surgical methods in treating palmar hyperhidrosis and the compensatory hyperhidrosis after surgery and to observe the efficacy of "Energy-boosting and Yin-nourishing anti-perspirant formula" on postsurgical hyperhidrosis patients. Two-hundred patients were randomly assigned to groups A (Chinese and Western medicine, T4 transection plus "Energy-boosting and Yin-nourishing anti-perspirant formula") and B (Western medicine, T4 transection). The surgical efficiency, recurrence rate, compensatory hyperhidrosis, and the long-term life quality were compared. Another 100 cases (group C, T2 transection) were analyzed as a control group. After surgery, the palmar hyperhidrosis and armpit sweating were relieved in all the three group patients and in 34 % of patients combined with plantar hyperhidrosis, the symptoms were relieved. Transient palmar hyperhidrosis was found in three cases at day 2 to day 5 postoperatively. One case of Horner's syndrome and one case recurrence were found in group C patients. The compensatory sweating of various degrees occurred in all the three groups. There were 25, 24, and 43 cases in groups A, B, and C, respectively. There is a significant difference between groups C, A, and B. The compensatory sweating in 13 cases of group A and four cases of group B had different degrees of improvement in the follow-up 6 months after surgery. There is a significant difference. Thoracoscopic bilateral T4 sympathetic chain and the Kuntz resection are the optimized surgical treatments for the palmar hyperhidrosis. "Energy-boosting and Yin-nourishing anti-perspirant formula" is effective in treating the postoperative compensatory sweating.

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of oxybutynin for the initial treatment of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis.

INTRODUCTION: Video-assisted thoracic sympathectomy provides excellent resolution of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis but is associated with compensatory hyperhidrosis. Low doses of oxybutynin, an anticholinergic medication that competitively antagonizes the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, can be used to treat palmar hyperhidrosis with fewer side effects. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effectiveness and patient satisfaction of oral oxybutynin at low doses (5 mg twice daily) compared with placebo for treating palmar hyperhidrosis. METHODS: This was prospective, randomized, and controlled study. From December 2010 to February 2011, 50 consecutive patients with palmar hyperhidrosis were treated with oxybutynin or placebo. Data were collected from 50 patients, but 5 (10.0%) were lost to follow-up. During the first week, patients received 2.5 mg of oxybutynin once daily in the evening. From days 8 to 21, they received 2.5 mg twice daily, and from day 22 to the end of week 6, they received 5 mg twice daily. All patients underwent two evaluations, before and after (6 weeks) the oxybutynin treatment, using a clinical questionnaire and a clinical protocol for quality of life. RESULTS: Palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis improved in >70% of the patients, and 47.8% of those presented great improvement. Plantar hyperhidrosis improved in >90% of the patients. Most patients (65.2%) showed improvements in their quality of life. The side effects were minor, with dry mouth being the most frequent (47.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis with oxybutynin is a good initial alternative for treatment given that it presents good results and improves quality of life.

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. Its mechanism is unknown. In a small proportion of patients, it may attend devastating proportions. It has practically no remedy, and the degree of compensatory hyperhidrosis is unpredictable prior to sympathectomy. The purpose of the present study was to obtain a reversible sympathetic block which may disclose subjects prone to develop severe compensatory hyperhidrosis and unfit for permanent ganglionic ablation. METHODS: In three dogs, an experimental electrode was implanted via a left thoracotomy on the stellate ganglion, connected to a stimulator. The stimulation was activated after recovery. The contralateral ganglion served as control. Effect of the stimulation was assessed by observing the development of Horner's syndrome, which includes the appearance of miosis, ptosis and enophthalmus. Reversal of the sympathetic block was expected when the neurostimulation was discontinued and assessed by the disappearance of these signs. RESULTS: Stimulation produced only a partial effect - an incomplete Horner's syndrome (miosis and sometime ptosis), which was not completely reversible after ceasing the stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Although neurostimulation achieved a partial sympathetic block, the present method failed to obtain a completely reversible effect. However, these results may indicate that different nervous pathways moderate the various components of the Horner's triad. Concerning the creation of a reversible sympathectomy; other approaches must be sought after.

The use of oxybutynin for treating axillary hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effectiveness and patient satisfaction with the use of oxybutynin for treating axillary hyperhidrosis in a large series of patients. METHODS: One hundred two patients with axillary hyperhidrosis were treated with oxybutynin. During the first week, patients received 2.5 mg of oxybutynin once a day in the evening. From the 8th to the 42nd day, they received 2.5 mg twice a day, and from the 43rd day to the end of the 12th week, they received 5 mg twice a day. All of the patients underwent two evaluations: before and after (12 weeks) the oxybutynin treatment, using a clinical questionnaire; and a clinical protocol for quality of life (QOL). RESULTS: More than 80% of the patients experienced an improvement in axillary hyperhidrosis; 36.3% of them presented a great improvement, and half of the patients showed improvements at all hyperhidrosis sites. Most of the patients showed improvements in the QOL (67.5%). The patients with very poor QOL before the treatment presented greater satisfaction levels after treatment. The side effects were minor, dry mouth being the most frequent (73.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Oxybutynin is a good alternative to sympathectomy. It presents good results and improves QOL without the side effects of sympathectomy.

Treatment of generalized hyperhidrosis with oxybutynin in post-menopausal patients.

Postmenopausal hyperhidrosis is a form of secondary hyperhidrosis, and hormone-replacement therapy is a commonly used therapeutic option. However, some women do not benefit from this treatment, and oral anticholinergics are a logical alternative for reducing generalized sweating in these patients. Twenty-one patients were medicated with 5 or 10 mg of oxybutynin per day. After a 3-month follow-up period, efficacy was assessed with the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used to assess the improvement in patients' quality of life. The HDSS score was 3.2 +/- 0.4 (mean +/- SD) before medication and 1.9 +/- 0.4 after 3 months. The baseline DLQI score of 8.4 +/- 1.0 was reduced to 4.4 +/- 0.9. No serious side-effects or adverse events resulted from treatment. Oxybutynin was a well-tolerated, effective, and safe method for treating postmenopausal sweating. However, long-term medication and the limited effects of the treatment were disadvantages.

Awake one stage bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis: a safe outpatient procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the feasibility and compare the results of thoracoscopic sympathectomy under local anaesthesia (LA) and spontaneous breathing vs. general anaesthesia (GA) with one-lung ventilation. METHODS: Two groups of consecutive patients underwent one stage bilateral T2-T3 thoracoscopic sympathectomy under LA (n=15) and GA (n=30) by the same surgical team for treatment of primary palmar hyperhidrosis. The groups were homogeneous for relevant demographic, physiological and clinical data, including pulmonary function. In both groups, patient's satisfaction was evaluated 24h after surgery by a simple interview and scored into five grades (1=very poor to 5=excellent), while quality of life (QOL) was evaluated by SF-36 and Nottingham's Health Profile questionnaires before and 6 months after surgery. A cost comparison between groups concerning devices, drugs, global in operating room time, medical personnel and hospital stay was also carried out. RESULTS: No operative mortality was recorded. The overall in operating room time for the whole bilateral procedure under LA was 63.55+/-10.58 vs. 86.05+/-5.75 under GA (P<0.01) and temperature increased in all patients from a baseline of 25.42+/-0.56 up to 32.15+/-0.84 degrees C. All patients undergone LA were discharged the same day after a chest roentgenogram and a short stay in the outpatient clinic. Among them three patients (20%) experienced a minimal (<30%) pneumothorax that required no treatment, while five (33.3%) had a trunk compensatory sweating that spontaneously resolved on the long run. Patients undergoing GA were discharged after a mean stay of 1.38+/-0.6 days. Among these, eight (26.6%) had prolonged trunk compensatory sweating that did not persist longer than 3 months. At a follow-up of 7.16+/-2.97 months, QOL was significantly improved with no difference between groups. The overall rate of satisfaction was greater in the LA group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, awake one stage bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis could be safely and effectively performed as an outpatient procedure in patients refusing GA. Postoperative quality of life was equal to that in patients undergone the same procedure under GA, while patient satisfaction was better and cost were significantly reduced.

Alteration in cardiovascular function and body surface temperature during percutaneous stereotactic upper thoracic ganglionectomy and sympathectomy in palmar hyperhidrotic patients.

We assessed changes in cardiovascular function, specifically arterial blood pressure and heart rate in 6 palmar hyperhidrotic patients before, during, and after T2 and T3 ganglionectomy and sympathectomy. We also assessed changes in skin temperature, specifically at the forehead, axilla, thumb, loin, and sole of the foot (all bilaterally) in 10 palmar hyperhidrotic patients before, during, and after T2 ganglionectomy and sympathectomy. In both methods, ganglionectomy and sympathectomy were done by percutaneous stereotactic thermocoagulation, under local anesthesia, at room temperature 21.4 +/- 0.6 degrees C. During the procedure we found a significant acute decrease in systolic and pulse pressures, from 153 +/- 10 to 127 +/- 9 and from 80 +/- 7 to 56 +/- 4mmHg respectively, and a lesser decrease in diastolic pressure; heart rate showed no statistically significant changes. We also noted a marked increase in thumb temperature, from 21.2 +/- 0.6 to 36.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C, with a mean increase of 14.8 degrees C, at a room temperature 21.4 +/- 0.6 degrees C, after complete bilateral T2 ganglionectomy and sympathectomy. Skin temperature at the forehead, axilla, loin, and sole of the foot, all measured bilaterally, showed no significant increase, although there was a decrease in sweating in both forehead and axillary regions. The decrease in systolic and pulse pressures observed during the thermocoagulation procedure were temporary effects. The increase in thumb temperature, however, appears to be a permanent effect for palmar hyperhidrotic patients. Finally, the data indicate that the sympathetic innervation of the blood vessel in the periphery presents a segmental organization.

Safe control of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis with direct electrical current.

BACKGROUND: Primary (idiopathic) hyperhidrosis is a benign disease of unknown etiology, leading to the disruption of professional and social life and emotional problems. A variety of treatment methods have been used to control or reduce the profuse sweating. In this study, we report the efficacy of direct current (d.c.) administration in the treatment of idiopathic hyperhidrosis. METHODS: One hundred and twelve patients with idiopathic hyperhidrosis were enrolled in the study. Initial sweat intensities of the palms were measured by means of the pad glove method. The patients were treated in eight sessions with d.c. administration using a complete regulated d.c. unit based on tap water iontophoresis. The final sweat intensities of responders were determined 20 days after the last treatment. Nonresponders returned earlier than 20 days, with final sweat intensities measured at least 5 days after the last treatment. In 26 responders, plantar hyperhidrosis was also treated. After the first remission period, the second of eight treatments was applied to the palms of 37 responders. RESULTS: This therapy controlled palmar hyperhidrosis in 81.2% of cases. The final sweat intensities of the palms of responders were significantly reduced after eight treatments (P < 0.001). The first average remission period was 35 days. Minimal undesirable effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS: This technique appears to control hyperhidrosis on the palms and soles only if regular treatment is applied. Plantar hyperhidrosis appeared to resolve simultaneously when palmar hyperhidrosis was successfully treated.

Botulinum toxin type A in primary palmar hyperhidrosis: randomized, single-blind, two-dose study.

BACKGROUND: Primary palmar hyperhidrosis is characterized by excessive sweating due to increased sympathetic cholinergic sudomotor nerve traffic to the palmar surface of the hands. Clinical studies suggest that intradermal injections of botulinum toxin are effective in the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. OBJECTIVES: To establish the effectiveness of intradermal botulinum toxin in reducing hyperhidrosis, to determine the most effective dose of toxin, and to examine its effect on muscle strength. METHODS: In a prospective, single blind, randomized trial, 24 patients with severe palmar hyperhidrosis received either a low (50 U) or a high dose (100 U) of botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan) injected intradermally in 20 sites in each palm. RESULTS: Following injection with either dose, iodine starch test revealed a significant decrease in sweating within the first month. Six months after injection, the anhidrotic effect was still evident in two thirds of the patients in both groups. Handgrip strength was not affected with either dose but finger pinch strength, 2 weeks after the injection, decreased 23 +/- 27% with 50 U (p < 0.05) and 40 +/- 21% with 100 U (p < 0.001). Pinch strength improved gradually but 6 months after treatment it was still 7-11% lower than at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Both 50 and 100 U of botulinum toxin type A, injected intradermally in each hand, decreased sweating in patients with primary hyperhidrosis for at least 2 months in all the patients, and 6 months in most patients. Weakness in the intrinsic muscles of the hand was observed.

A hypothalamic stroke producing recurrent hemihyperhidrosis.

A 40-year-old man awoke with exuberant sustained sweating of the entire left side of the body, which became intermittent over the next few days. MRI indicated a single linear hyperintensity in the right posterior hypothalamus, diminishing on a repeat scan. He continues to have episodes of left unilateral sweating precipitated by exercise or minor infection.

Asymmetric sweating in a child with multiple sclerosis.

A 10-year-old male with multiple sclerosis complained of excessive sweating on the right side of the forehead and shoulder on relapse 3 months after the onset of multiple sclerosis. Because the neurologic evaluation revealed no abnormalities in the sudomotor function, it is likely that the hyperhidrosis resulted from a lesion in the central or preganglionic sympathetic nervous system. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a high-intensity lesion involving the left hypothalamus on T(2)-weighted imaging. Thus hypothalamic involvement might be the reason for the hyperhidrosis in this patient.

Nonresponders among hyperhidrotics.

In the context of our investigation on palmar sweating and hyperhidrosis we subjected 40 individuals (20 hyperhidrotic and 20 normal) to noise stimulation. The participants received ten startling auditory tones (square pulse of 400 ms duration, 1000 Hz frequency and 105-dB intensity) at random intervals varying from 15-55 s. Hyperhidrotic subjects, relative to controls, responded with greater amplitude and habituated later, but a subset of these subjects failed to respond at all to the tone. In this report, we focus on the finding that some hyperhidrotics were nonresponders. We discuss the consequences of this finding, both its implication for understanding hyperhidrosis and nonresponsiveness, as well as the complexity of sympathetic nervous system activation.

Is palmar and plantar sweating thermoregulatory?

We tested the hypothesis that palmar and plantar sweating has a thermoregulatory role and is mediated by the same thermoregulatory mechanisms that control sweating in the rest of the body surface. In a series of empirical tests involving 34 participants (five of whom exhibited palmar hyperhydrosis), the effect of high environmental temperature on sweating was examined. Wilcott's finding, that effects at the palm are of considerable magnitude, was confirmed only in subjects who were in a state of excitement. In relaxed subjects, the effects of high environmental temperature on palmar and plantar sweating was negligible. We conclude that the palms and soles do not directly participate in thermoregulation.

Episodic hyperhidrosis, hypothermia, and agenesis of corpus callosum.

Episodic hyperhidrosis and hypothermia are the primary symptoms of a rare central nervous system disorder of thermoregulation which is often associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum and can present in childhood or adult years. During attacks, patients may exhibit confused, withdrawn, and lethargic behavior and ataxia or other neurologic symptoms. A 21-year-old man with temperature chronically between 30 and 32 degrees C transiently responded to phenobarbital and to cyproheptadine therapy. A 34-year-old woman with frequent, brief episodes of hypothermia and hyperhidrosis improved with chlorpromazine treatment. Episodic thermoregulatory disturbance has been attributed to "vagal attacks" or "diencephalic epilepsy," but the pathophysiology remains undefined.