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Home Topics A–Z Eccrine chromhidrosis
Author: Dr Duncan Lyons, Resident Medical Officer, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Medical Editor: Dr Helen Gordon, Auckland, New Zealand. DermNet NZ Editor in Chief: Adjunct A/Prof. Amanda Oakley, Dermatologist, Hamilton, New Zealand. Copy edited by Gus Mitchell. July 2020.
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Eccrine chromhidrosis is the production of coloured sweat by the eccrine sweat glands.
Eccrine chromhidrosis is a rare disorder. It can occur at any age and affects both sexes.
Eccrine chromhidrosis is due to water-soluble coloured dyes and other chemicals being excreted in the eccrine sweat. Examples include:
Eccrine chromhidrosis can affect the skin over any body area but is often worst on the palms and soles where eccrine sweat glands are most concentrated. The colour of the sweat depends on the dye, drug, or chemical involved, with red, blue, orange, brown, yellow, green, black, and white sweat reported.
It can cause considerable embarrassment for sufferers, and the changing of clothing multiple times each day.
The differential diagnosis for eccrine chromhidrosis can include the following:
Eccrine chromhidrosis is usually a clinical diagnosis, but the following may be used to confirm the diagnosis:
Elimination of the causative agent or treatment of the underlying condition results in resolution of the discoloration.
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