Anidrosis, a rare disorder of the sweat glands, with which 15-year-old Dimitris from Metsovo was diagnosed, was a catalyst in the development and outcome of the heat stroke suffered by the teenager last Thursday, one of the most difficult days of the last heatwave season experienced by our country.

The minor has been hospitalized since last night at a special center in Turin, Italy, to undergo a liver transplant. The battle against time is relentless for health professionals, as a compatible transplant must be found as soon as possible, within the next 24 hours, to treat the thunderous liver failure he developed due to the heat stroke.

“Anidrosis is the inability of the body to produce sweat. In children, this condition can be particularly dangerous because sweat is the main mechanism by which the body regulates its temperature. When a child does not sweat properly, there is an increased risk of overheating, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke – a life-threatening condition,” pediatrician Olga Tzetzi.
explains to protothema.gr.

The signs that can mobilize parents

“Sweatlessness can be caused by genetic disorders, nervous system damage, certain medications or skin conditions that ‘clog’ the sweat glands,” the expert explains.

Indications that can mobilize parents are:
– When the baby, infant, or child does not sweat at all, even in heat or physical activity
– Feels easily exhausted
– He/she shows excessive fatigue
– Is excessively annoyed by heat.

How anidrosis can cause acute liver failure

“In cases of heatstroke in children, the liver is the first organ to be damaged, even before the kidneys. And the aetiopathogenesis of heat damage to the liver in patients with anhidrosis is well documented,” notes the paediatrician, president of the Federation of Freely Practising Paediatricians, Kostas Dallukas.

Consistently, “and given that the child had known anhidrosis and was exposed to extreme temperatures, it is most likely that he suffered heatstroke with subsequent liver failure, a fact consistent with physiopathology and literature,” he says of the dramatic incident.

As anidrosis, which turns off” eliminates the basic mechanism of heat elimination in humans, namely the ability to evaporate through sweat, high temperature and high humidity conditions can be extremely dangerous to life. Unfortunately, the incident with the 15-year-old boy is a stark reminder of the severe impact that sweating can have. According to reports, the boy was admitted to the intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Patras with multi-organ failure, which was gradually treated in all organs except the liver. However, he even had thermal burns on his limbs, indicative of the severity of his condition.

As Mr. Dalukas says, a child with anidrosis:

– Unable to reduce body temperature
– Develops hyperthermia (40.5°C)
– Exhibits rapid cellular deregulation and organ ischemia
– The liver is extremely vulnerable and may develop acute hepatocyte necrosis and leading to acute liver failure

The rarity of the disorder dictates early recognition and guidance from a pediatrician, as it proves vital to protect the child’s health. Various forms of anhidrosis, most notably total and partial, can be diagnosed and treated with simple preventive measures and specific care, experts stress.