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Case Reports

Skin Depigmentation: Could it Be a Complication Caused by Thoracic Sympathectomy?

^a Division of Thoracic Surgery, Federal and State University of Amazonas Medical School, Manaus, Brazil
^b Division of Dermatology, Federal and State University of Amazonas Medical School, Manaus, Brazil
^c Division of Thoracic Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil

Accepted for publication July 1, 2009.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Westphal, Hospital Universitário Getúlio Vargas, 4, Apurinã St, Praça 14, Manaus, 69010-130, Brazil (Email: f.l.westphal{at}uol.com.br).

Primary hyperhidrosis is an idiopathic disorder, and its definitive treatment is obtained through thoracic sympathectomy. However, this procedure is not exempt from complications and compensatory sweating is the main inconvenience described. In this article, 2 patients were submitted to video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy, and after approximately 8 months they noticed depigmentation of the region corresponding to the blockage of sympathetic stimulus. This fact could be explained by the possible effect of the nervous system on the melanocytes of human skin. Thus, patients with primary hyperhidrosis, who are candidates for thoracic sympathectomy and have brown skin, must be made aware of this possible complication.