Fox-Fordyce disease

Fox-Fordyce disease is a chronic blockage of the sweat gland ducts with a secondary, nonbacterial inflammatory response to the secretions and cellular debris in the cysts. Hidradenitis is very similar but tends to have a secondary bacterial infection so that pus-draining sinuses are formed. It is a very devastating skin disease that does not have universally curative treatments.

Eponym
It is named for George Henry Fox and John Fordyce.

Treatment
The mainstay treatment is surgical removal of the skin tissue containing affected sweat glands. Irradiation therapy may also be used and antibiotics are used to reduce the inflammatory response.

No treatment is required for Fordyce granules, except for cosmetic removal of labial lesions. Inflamed glands can be treated topically with clindamycin. When surgically excised, recurrence does not occur. Neoplastic transformation is very rare but has been reported.