Comparative evaluation of botulinum toxin versus iontophoresis with topical aluminium chloride hexahydrate in treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Hyperhidrosis is generalised or focal excessive sweating and carries a substantial psychological and social burden. This study compares botulinum toxin versus iontophoresis with topical aluminium chloride hexahydrate in palmar hyperhidrosis.

METHODS: The study included 60 cases of palmar hyperhidrosis randomly allocated to 2 groups. One group was given botulinum toxin type A 100 units per palm and the other group subjected to digital iontophoresis with topical application of aluminium chloride hexahydrate lotion for 4 weeks. They were assessed 4 weeks later and those without improvement were crossed over to the other arm for another 4 weeks. Those with improvement were followed up in the same arm for 6 months.

RESULTS: Botulinum therapy showed significant improvement in the initial (80%) as well as cross over cases (75%) as compared to iontophoresis and aluminium chloride (47%) for initial cases and (17%) for cross over cases.

CONCLUSION: Better improvements were seen with botulinum therapy than with iontophoresis and topical therapy. Residual effects of relief lasted on an average for 4 months for botulinum toxin whereas it was one month with iontophoresis and topical therapy. Advantage with iontophoresis and topical therapy was that it was non invasive and did not require regional anaesthesia as with botulinum therapy.