| PRS 0404-1264 Hong
Hong JP, Shin HW, Yoo SC, Chang H, Park SH, Koh KS, Hur JY, Lee TJ.
Ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty treatment for axillary bromidrosis: clinical experience of 375 cases. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004 Apr 1;113(4):1264-9. PMID: 15083032
Comment in:
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004 May;113(6):1897-8.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Asan Medical Center,
University of Ulsan College of Medicine, and Young and Young Plastic Surgery
Clinic, Seoul, Korea. joonphong@amc.seoul.kr
Bromidrosis is a condition of abnormal offensive body odor caused mostly by
apocrine gland secretion from the axilla. Although no morbid sequelae are known,
the odor can be disturbing enough to cause social impairment and psychological
distress. Medical care is available but is temporary and yields limited clinical
benefit. Surgical treatment may provide a more definite remedy through reduction
of the apocrine gland. However, there are risks for complication following
surgical treatment such as subdermal excision, subcutaneous shaving, en bloc
excision, and liposuction. The search for a less invasive but still effective
procedure has led the authors to use ultrasound-assisted liposuction, which has
reduced the risk of complication and recurrence. The purpose of this article was
to evaluate the long-term outcome of ultrasound-assisted liposuction for the
treatment of bromidrosis. From August 1998 to September 2002, 375 consecutive
patients underwent ultrasound-assisted liposuction for bromidrosis of the
axilla. The average age of the patients was 25.7 years (range, 15 to 55 years)
and the average follow-up period was 18.8 months (range, 7 to 56 months).
Subjective complaints of recurrences were noted in 22 patients (5.9 percent) and
secondary ultrasound-assisted liposuction was performed, resulting in no further
complaints. Complications other than recurrences were mild skin sloughing (3.2
percent), hematoma (1.3 percent), subcutaneous band (0.3 percent), and
hypesthesia of the hand (0.3 percent), all of which healed spontaneously.
Through a questionnaire that was answered by 264 patients, a subjective
satisfaction rate was measured. Among the completed questionnaires, 91.7 percent
reported satisfactory reduction of odor. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction to
treat bromidrosis of the axilla provides advantages such as rapid recovery, less
restriction of movement, unnoticeable scars, and a low rate of recurrence. The
long-term outcome supports the benefits of this procedure. The authors recommend
the use of ultrasound-assisted liposuction as first-line treatment for
bromidrosis of the axilla.
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