[Idiopathic pure sudomotor failure].

We describe three cases of acquired generalized anhidrosis without other autonomic and somatic nervous dysfunctions (idiopathic pure sudomotor failure; IPSF) and a review of the literature was made in regard to the clinical features of this disease. Patient 1. A 17-year-old man was found to be severely anhidrotic and intolerant to heart loading, which produced an immediate sharp pain over the entire body surface in April, 1989. Sudden and spontaneous remission occurred in July, 1990, but relapsed six months later. He was admitted to our hospital seeking for therapy in April, 1991. There were no abnormal findings on physical and neurological examinations except for anhidrosis. Patient 2. A 14-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital in March 1991 with complaints of intolerance to heart loading and sharp pain, which had begun ten months before admission. Physical and neurological examinations revealed no abnormal findings except for anhidrosis. Patient 3. A 21-year-old woman suddenly experienced a burning sensation in the whole body in 19th, February, 1991, which was followed by severe pain. She was admitted to our hospital in the next day. Apart from sensory impairment of glove and stocking type, neurological examination revealed no abnormal findings. Reflex sweating to pilocarpine was absent in all three cases, suggesting abnormality in the postganglionic sudomotor nerves or cholinergic receptors. Skin biopsy was performed in one patient (patient 1), and revealed no abnormalities of the sweat glands and ducts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)