title: Morphometric analysis of thoracic ganglion neurons in subjects with and without primary palmar hyperhidrosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperhidrosis (HH) is a disease whose physiopathology remains poorly understood and that adversely affects quality of life. There is no morphologic study that includes an adequate control group that allows for comparison of the ganglion of HH to those of normal individuals. The purpose of study was to analyze morphologic and morphometric characteristics of the ganglion from patients with HH and normal individuals (organ donators).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a transversal study. The sympathetic thoracic ganglia were obtained from 2 groups of patients. Group PH (palmar hyperhidrosis), 40 patients with palmar HH submitted to surgery by video-assisted thoracoscopy, and group C (control group), 14 deceased individuals (control group of organ donators) without any history of HH. The third left sympathetic thoracic ganglion was resected in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed higher number of cells in the PH group than in the control group (14.25 + 3.81 vs. 10.65 + 4.93) with P = 0.007; the mean percentage of ganglion cells stained by caspases-3 in the PH group was significantly greater than that of the C group (2.37 + 0.79 vs. 0.77 + 0.28) with P < 0.001; the mean value of area of collagen in the PH group was 0.80 IQ (0.08-1.87), and in the control group it was 2.36 IQ (0.49-5.98) with P = 0.061.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjects with primary palmar HH have a higher number of ganglion cells within the ganglion and a higher number of cells in apoptosis. Also, the subjects of PH group have less collagen in the sympathetic ganglion when compared with the control group, but not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: garbelin@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Flavio Roberto Garbelini
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nabor B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jose Ribas M
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: de Campos
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wolosker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edwin R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vera L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Capelozzi
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pêgo-Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods; D013900:Thoracic Nerves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen