Sweating in ectodermal dysplasia syndromes. A review.

Abstract

Ectodermal dysplasia syndromes are currently classified based on constellations of clinical features, a major one of which is the presence or absence of normal sweating. The evaluation of sweating in these disorders has not been performed in a standardized manner, as is shown here in this literature review of a sampling of ectodermal dysplasia syndromes. Accurate evaluation of sweating is important not only in enabling more effective diagnosis and classification of patients with these syndromes, but also in aiding genetic counseling by potential detection of carrier states. A review of the variety of sweat tests currently in use is presented.