Idiopathic acquired generalized anhidrosis: electron-microscopic and immunohistochemical studies and analysis of lectin-binding pattern of the cell membrane.

Idiopathic acquired generalized anhidrosis with sudden onset is rare and its pathogenesis is not known. We report a patient with this condition, and the results of electron-microscopic and immunohistochemical studies as well as an analysis of the lectin-binding pattern of the cell membrane. Electron-microscopically, the cells of the eccrine sweat gland showed vacuolar changes. Besides their cytoplasmic changes, the results of a deficient lectin-binding pattern of the glandular cells suggest that there are disturbances in the formation of glycoproteins on their membrane.