title: [Changes in palmar skin blood flow, perfusion index and temperature during endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), it is required to perform accurate cautery of the sympathetic trunk. Monitoring of palmar skin blood flow and temperature has been used to assess the efficacy of ETS. This study investigated whether Perfusion Index (PI) is useful in assessing palmar skin blood flow and temperature in ETS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 5 patients (1 man, 4 women) with palmar hyperhidrosis who had undergone a total of 10 ETS procedures. We measured skin blood flow, temperature and PI during ETS and evaluated the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlations were found between increases in skin blood flow and PI after ETS in cases with the palmar skin temperature just before ETS of below 35 degrees C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In these cases, we can substitute increases in PI with increases in skin blood flow during ETS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki 569-8686.
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Motoshige
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kusaka
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*; D035423:Thoracic Cavity / Q000294:innervation; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*