Canadian Medical Guide > Diseases > Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases > Skin Diseases > Sweat Gland Diseases Terms and Definitions

Sweat Gland Diseases

	Hidradenitis - The inflammation of a sweat gland (usually of the apocrine type). The condition can be idiopathic or occur as a result of or in association with another underlying condition. Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis is a relatively rare variant that has been reported in patients undergoing chemotherapy, usually for non-Hodgkin lymphomas or leukemic conditions.
	Hyperhidrosis - Excessive sweating. In the localized type, the most frequent sites are the palms, soles, axillae, inguinal folds, and the perineal area. Its chief cause is thought to be emotional. Generalized hyperhidrosis may be induced by a hot, humid environment, by fever, or by vigorous exercise.
	Hypohidrosis - Abnormally diminished or absent perspiration. Both generalized and segmented (reduced or absent sweating in circumscribed locations) forms of the disease are usually associated with other underlying conditions.
	Miliaria - A syndrome of cutaneous changes associated with sweat retention and extravasation of sweat at different levels in the skin. Miliaria rubra, or prickly heat, results from apocrine duct obstruction. The sweat then seeps into the epidermis, producing pruritic erythematous papulovesicles. (From Dorland, 27th ed)

Sweat Gland Diseases Medical Definitions and Terms