Читать книгу Ridley's The Vulva - Группа авторов - Страница 100

It was originally thought that mammary tissue seen in the vulva was an embryological remnant of the mammary ridge. The AGMLGs were first described by van der Putte [31], and it is now clear that they are a distinct entity and are a normal component of anogenital skin [32]. They are found predominantly in the interlabial sulci of the vulva and have distinctive morphological, histological, and immunohistochemical features that are similar to the breast [33].

The morphology of the glands ranges from a simple wide duct with a few small diverticula to a complicated, convoluted tubular system that have features similar to those seen in the breast but without the lobules (Figure 2.17). Most glands, however, consist of a coiled duct with diverticular extensions at irregular intervals along their length. The glands all have a straight excretory duct that opens directly onto the skin surface. The anogenital glands extend to 3.9 mm into the dermis, which is deeper than eccrine or apocrine glands [34]. They are lined by simple columnar epithelium resting on a layer of myoepithelium. The columnar epithelium extends into the straight excretory duct until a short distance from the surface and then gives way to non‐keratinised, stratified squamous epithelium without a myoepithelial layer. The lining epithelium may show columnar cell change in these AGMLGs [34].

Figure 2.17 Lobulated anogenital mammary‐like gland with compact columnar epithelium

(courtesy of Dr James Scurry).