Apocrine Chromhidrosis

Abstract

Apocrine chromhidrosis is a rare diagnosis that occurs due to colored sweat being secreted from the apocrine glands, which are located in the axillae, anogenital skin, and areolae and over the skin of the trunk, face, and scalp. We present the case of a 65-year-old woman who presented with a sudden onset of pink sweating affecting mainly her axillae but also her pelvis, causing staining of clothing and bed sheets. There was nil to note on examination and histology with immunostaining demonstrated focally prominent yellow-brown lipofuscin granules in the cytoplasm of the apocrine secretory cells confirming the diagnosis. The disease can have a significant psychosocial impact, and treatment remains challenging. Our case is unique because the red and pink coloring of sweat is less common in cases of apocrine chromhidrosis, which is often in favor of darker colored sweat, and the distribution involved the inguinal canal, which is also less often seen.

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“…The color can be yellow, green, blue, or black; the face or armpits are most commonly afflicted by the disease. The condition is extremely disabling and causes shame in patients [49]. Little is known about of the etiopathogenesis of the disease and if the altered function is due to the apocrine or to the eccrine glands is still debated.…”