[Sympathetic dermatomes corresponding to T2 and T3 ganglia. A prospective study of 100 superior thoracic sympathicolytic procedures].
The autonomic nervous system adjusts sweating on the body's skin surface. The skin areas corresponding to the various sympathetic ganglia are not yet clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to define the skin areas corresponding to the T2 and T3 sympathetic ganglia.


METHODS
We performed bilateral thoracic sympathicolysis endoscopically on the T2 and T3 ganglia of 50 patients with primary hyperhidrosis. All answered a questionnaire before surgery and at least two months later. The questionnaire asked about sweating at different points, but in order to estimate the cutaneous projection of T2 and T3 we only analyzed anhidrotic regions.


RESULTS
Denervation resulted in anhidrotic hands (98.11%); axillas (73.58%); arms (39.62%); forehead (20.75%); chin, cheeks, neck and the nape of the neck (16.98%); sides of the chest (13.2%); front of the chest (7.54%); and back (1.88%).


CONCLUSIONS
The territory influenced by the T2 and T3 sympathetic ganglia is more extensive than has been described by classical anatomical studies. The cutaneous area innervated by the sympathetic T2 and T3 ganglia extends to zones influenced by T1 in up to 20.75% of patients with primary hyperhidrosis.
Moya Amorós
J
J
Servicio de Cirugía Torácica, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, España. jmoya@bell.ub.es
Prat Ortells
J
J
Morera Abad
R
R
Ramos Izquierdo
R
R
Villalonga Badell
R
R
Ferrer Recuerdo
G
G
D001365:Axilla / Q000502:physiology; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000601:surgery*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D007007:Hypohidrosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*