Surgical treatment of axillary osmidrosis: an analysis of 343 cases

From July of 1986 to July of 1992, 343 patients have received surgery for axillary osmidrosis by partially removing skin and cellular tissue en bloc and removing the subcutaneous cellular tissue of the adjacent area. A total of 102 patients were followed for 4 months to 6 years, with an average of 32 months. The total satisfaction rate was 91 percent (93 of 102). The wound complication rate was 6.715 percent (46 of 685). There were no scar contractures or limitations of arm abduction. In this paper we emphasize three merits of our procedure. One is that partially removing the skin promises definite excision of more than half the eccrine glands which were located in the dermis of the operative field. The second merit is good exploration for undermining and defatting of the under-surface of the adjacent area. The third merit is a low wound complication rate because the width of the skin excision is less than 3 cm. Therefore, partial removal of skin and cellular tissue en bloc and the subcutaneous cellular tissue of the adjacent area is the choice for surgical treatment for axillary osmidrosis.