Histopathology of apocrine bromhidrosis

A histologic study of axillary skin taken from 20 Korean bromhidrosis patients and 10 normal Korean subjects without axillary odor was undertaken. Under light microscope, the skin specimens, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, were examined. Compared with the controls, the apocrine glands were numerous and the gland size large in the bromhidrosis skin. The decapitated epithelial cell-lined contracted glands were seen intermixed with the nondecapitated cell-lined distended glands in the bromhidrosis skin. By comparison, in the normal controls, the apocrine glands were atrophic and lined with flat epithelial cells and showed no decapitation. It appears that histologic change of apocrine glands may contribute more to bromhidrosis than bacterial decomposition of apocrine sweat. Surgical removal of apocrine glands may thus be the most satisfactory and logical method of treatment.