Dry hands in scleroderma. Including studies of sweat gland function in healthy individuals

Complaints of dry hands were evaluated in 68 patients with generalized scleroderma (GS) and 66 healthy individuals (HI) for comparison. Studies included evaporimetry of the hands and forearms as performed under physiological conditions indicating sweat gland function. Complaints of dry hands were more frequent (p less than 0.001) in GS (71%) than in HI (32%) as was the use of emollients (68% and 32% respectively). Evaporimetry at eight different locations (flexor and extensor aspects of middle phalanx, proximal phalanx, hand and forearm) showed decreased evaporation (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001) in GS. However, there was no difference in evaporation between patients complaining of dry hands and patients without complaints. In a few locations the evaporation was negatively correlated (r from -0.287 to -0.376, p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01) to the duration of GS and positively correlated to parameters of cutaneous thickening (ultrasound measurement skin thickness r = 0.252, p less than 0.05; ring size r = 0.294, p less than 0.05). In the group of healthy individuals complaints of dryness was more frequent (p less than 0.05) in females (39%) than in males (7%), and females also used emollients more frequently (p less than 0.01). HI complaining of dryness had similar evaporation as HI with no complaints. Physiological evaporation was negatively correlated to age, in particular in the palm and volar side of fingers (r from -0.424 to -0.454, p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)