What Is the Best Method for Treating Osmidrosis?

Abstract

Axillary osmidrosis is caused by excessive secretion of apocrine, which causes an acrid odor and extreme social embarrassment. Elimination of the apocrine glands by a radical surgical procedure is known as the best solution for axillary osmidrosis; however, it is often accompanied by marked complications. The purpose of this study was to seek a more effective surgical procedure by comparing the various preexisting subcutaneous apocrine gland elimination methods using four parameters: odor, scar, immobilization period, and other surgical complications such as hematoma, seroma, flap necrosis, and wound dehiscence. From March 1995 to March 2000, a total of 189 patients underwent surgery for axillary osmidrosis via manual subdermal shavings (N = 117), liposuction curettage (N = 32), CO2 laser vaporization (N = 18), and ultrasonic aspiration (N = 22). Of these procedures, manual shaving had the lowest recurrence rate for malodor. However, the disadvantages of this procedure included wide scar, a long immobilization period, and moderate cases of surgical complications. CO2 laser vaporization had results similar to manual shaving except for a clinically higher recurrence rate. Liposuction had advantages such as small invisible scars, a short-term immobilization period, and the least number of surgical complications, but it had a high rate of dissatisfaction in postoperative malodor (46.9%). Ultrasonic aspiration offered better results such as short surgical scar and relatively low recurrence rate, but it had some surgical complications (3 of 44 axillas). Therefore, removal of subcutaneous apocrine glands by manual subdermal shaving is the treatment of choice for axillary osmidrosis, with a low recurrence rate (7.7%). Other adjuvant procedures were effective in achieving short scars and low surgical complications, but there was dissatisfaction in the rate of recurrence.