Chromhidrosis is a rare condition characterized by the secretion of colored

sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distribut ...

. It is caused by the deposition of

lipofuscin Lipofuscin is the name given to fine yellow-brown pigment granules composed of lipid-containing residues of lysosomal digestion. It is considered to be one of the aging or "wear-and-tear" pigments, found in the liver, kidney, heart muscle, retin ...

in the

sweat gland Sweat glands, also known as sudoriferous or sudoriparous glands, , are small tubular structures of the skin that produce sweat. Sweat glands are a type of exocrine gland, which are glands that produce and secrete substances onto an epithelial sur ...

s. Cases of red, blue, green, yellow, pink, and black sweat have been reported. Usually, chromhidrosis affects the

apocrine Apocrine () glands are a type of exocrine gland, which are themselves a type of gland, i.e. a group of cells specialized for the release of secretions. Exocrine glands secrete by one of three means: holocrine, merocrine and apocrine. In apocrine ...

glands, mainly on the face and

underarm The axilla (also, armpit, underarm or oxter) is the area on the human body directly under the shoulder joint. It includes the axillary space, an anatomical space within the shoulder girdle between the arm and the thoracic cage, bounded superiorl ...

s. A limited number of treatment options exist, including regular application of

capsaicin Capsaicin (8-methyl-''N''-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) ( or ) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus ''Capsicum''. It is a chemical irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning ...

cream, and prolonged relief may be provided by

botulinum toxin Botulinum toxin, or botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium ''Clostridium botulinum'' and related species. It prevents the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from axon endings at the neuromusc ...

treatment. Chromogenic pigments produced by bacteria (''

Corynebacterium ''Corynebacterium'' () is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria and most are aerobe, aerobic. They are bacillus (shape), bacilli (rod-shaped), and in some phases of life they are, more specifically, club (weapon), club-shaped, which inspired the gen ...

'' in particular) are implicated in this condition, but their exact role still requires careful microbiological elucidation. Chromhidrosis of the

eccrine Merocrine (or eccrine) is a term used to classify exocrine glands and their secretions in the study of histology. A cell is classified as merocrine if the secretions of that cell are excreted via exocytosis from secretory cells into an epithelia ...

glands is rare; it occurs mainly after the ingestion of certain

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...

s or

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

References

External links

Conditions of the skin appendages {{cutaneous-condition-stub

See also

References

Further reading

External links