The phenomenon of hyperhidrosis is a pathological state caused by unknown stimulus of the sympathetic nervous system. When a variety of conservative treatments have failed, surgery which involves the removal of some ganglia of the cervical sympathetic chain, is the treatment of choice. In the last four years we operated on 253 patients for palmar hyperhidrosis using the transaxillary approach only. Recently, a new side effect of surgery has come to our attention. This phenomenon is enlargement of the breast on the operated side. Our series show seven cases (2.4%) of women operated for palmar hyperhidrosis who manifested this phenomenon, two of them bilaterally. The enlargement of the breast was found usually by the second follow-up visit after operation when, in most cases, the patient mentioned it.Examination of the breast revealed enlargement of a few centimeters which in several patients required a change to a larger brassiere size. In both of our patients who underwent bilateral surgery, the breasts enlarged until they were equal in size. The women then did not complain further.
Enlargement of the Breast--A New Side Effect of Transaxillary Cervical Sympathectomy: Case Report Kott, Itamar;; Hauptman, Eli;; Zelkovsky, Avigdor;; Reiss, Raphael. Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 20.1 (Jan 1986): 50-54.
