After a lunch outing with colleagues, N.T.A., from Dong Anh, Hanoi, discovered that the wet towel from the restaurant he used to wipe his face had suddenly turned pink.
Panicked, he turned to the internet to learn about this strange symptom. In 2017, information about this phenomenon was scarce. He visited 2-3 places but could not find the exact cause.
“Worried and confused, I wondered if it could be treated or not, adding more stress to my already tense situation?”, T.A. shared the story that occurred in 2017 when he was 24 years old.
This man went to the Central Dermatology Hospital, where he met Professor Dr. Tran Hau Khang, the former Director of the hospital.
“The patient came to the hospital with a white shirt stained red, and his slippers and towel were all light pink,” Professor Khang recalled.
Mr. T.A. shares about the rare disease he experienced 7 years ago. (Photo: BTC).
Upon gathering the medical history, it was revealed that the patient developed this unusual condition after experiencing a significant economic shock that led to a mental collapse. Professor Khang suggested that this might be a case of the very rare phenomenon known as “blood sweat.” The global medical literature has recorded only about 200 cases, and Vietnam had not previously documented any.
“Initially, I had samples taken from under the skin, and the doctor also asked me to sweat, collecting the sweat that had soaked into cotton for testing,” he recounted. Two specific tests (including the Benzidine reaction and Hemochromogen) helped doctors detect red blood cells in the sweat glands and a skin biopsy to determine the circulation between the sweat glands and capillaries.
Professor Khang shared that it took him a week to make an accurate diagnosis and identify the mechanism causing the disease. It was a severe stress episode that could lead to localized neurovascular disorders, damaging capillaries, skin, and sweat glands.
A prescription was provided along with advice, including a requirement to reduce stress, which helped the young man gradually recover.
At the beginning of 2018, the condition relapsed but to a lesser degree. Since then, the symptoms that had once alarmed him have not returned.
“Understanding my condition has relieved my worries. Life is better and more peaceful,” he shared.
This case is the first recorded instance of blood sweat (in a mild form) discovered in Vietnam. The one who identified it was Professor Dr. Tran Hau Khang, who became a notable case documented in global medical literature.
After Professor Khang announced this case in 2018, another instance of blood sweat was recorded at the Central Dermatology Hospital, involving a 7-year-old girl from Hung Yen.
This girl, named D., suffered from a severe form of the disease. In this case, the patient exhibited symptoms such as blood mixed with sweat flowing from certain areas of the skin, particularly the hands.
Some severe cases of blood sweat even experienced “bleeding” from the face, nostrils, mouth, and eyes.
In 2018, the Quy Hoa Central Leprosy and Dermatology Hospital treated a girl named Q.N., who was 11 years old at the time and from Gia Lai. Her family noticed the unusual symptoms during her exam preparation for the end of the school year.
Sweat from the skin around her eyes, face, and hands was bright red, resembling blood, with some days experiencing episodes 3-4 times. During these episodes, she often complained of fatigue, headaches, and a sensation of tightness in her facial skin.
Blood sweat is one of the rare skin diseases caused by neurological/psychological disorders, very uncommon. The clinical manifestation of this phenomenon is sweat exuding mixed with blood. Depending on the amount of blood, the sweat can vary in color from bright red, pink, to light pink.
Global medical literature has documented some special cases of blood sweat, such as death row inmates, sailors caught in storms at sea, those fearing death due to serious illness, or experiencing family stress. Most of these cases are associated with extreme mental disturbances such as anxiety, fear, dread of death, or chronic stress.
According to Professor Khang, there is currently no specific method to treat this phenomenon. The most important thing is to detect and address accompanying diseases while reducing stress, anxiety, and tension through medication or psychological therapy.
