Popular Sweat Treatment Linked to Arm Swelling in First Reported Case
A case study documents lymphedema—fluid buildup and swelling in the arm—developing months after MiraDry microwave treatment for excessive underarm sweating. While isolated, the finding raises questions about long-term safety monitoring for this widely used cosmetic procedure and could prompt manufacturers and regulators to examine whether rare complications are being systematically tracked.
Originaltitel: Unilateral Upper Limb Lymphedema After Microwave Thermolysis Treatment for Axillary Hyperhidrosis
<p>Microwave thermolysis (MiraDry) is an approved, nonsurgical treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis. We report a case of unilateral lymphedema of the upper limb in a 45-year-old male patient treated for axillary hyperhidrosis with the MiraDry device. Several months later, the patient experienced an asymmetry in the left versus right arm, with swelling of the lower left arm. Dynamic lymph flow imaging by lymphoscintigraphy showed slower lymphatic flow in the left arm and the patient was diagnosed with lymphoedema class I. Several investigations were performed to rule out any other causes of lymphoedema, and no anatomic anomalies or other secondary causes were found. As a conclusion, we suggest MiraDry as a possible cause of lymphoedema in our patient and classified it as 'traumatic lymphoedema'.</p>