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Anatomical Science International Sep 2022What exactly is a vulva? The question remains unresolved. Some sources consider the clitoris, labia, mons pubis, perineum, or vagina to be components of the vulva, while... (Review)
Review
What exactly is a vulva? The question remains unresolved. Some sources consider the clitoris, labia, mons pubis, perineum, or vagina to be components of the vulva, while other sources do not. Indeed, disagreement exists among international anatomical and clinical societies with regard to what precise structures form the human vulva. The obfuscation regarding the anatomy of the vulva and, likewise, inconsistencies in vulva-related anatomical terminology have adversely affected communication, research, and healthcare. Therefore, this review was undertaken to provide a comprehensive and critical analysis regarding the past, present, and potential future of vulvar anatomy and vulva-related anatomical terminology. The review reveals that confusion regarding the specific gross anatomical structures that form the vulva has persisted for thousands of years. The review provides novel information regarding the etymology of vulva, contributes important historical context regarding vulva, and gives details regarding related anatomical terminology including clitoris, hymen, labia majora, labia minora, mons pubis, pudendum, pudendum femininum/muliebre, uterus, vagina, et cetera. The review highlights disagreement regarding what specific structures comprise a vulva, identifies sexual bias in anatomical terminology and among noteworthy anatomical resources, and offers novel perspectives regarding anatomical terminology-especially anatomical terminology that relates to the external genitalia. What specific anatomical structures comprise the vulva? This review provides a comprehensive and critical analysis regarding the past, present, and potential future of vulvar anatomy and vulva-related anatomical terminology.
Topics: Clitoris; Female; Humans; Pelvis; Vagina; Vulva
PubMed: 35704265
DOI: 10.1007/s12565-022-00674-7 -
Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of... Mar 2016The female vulva is an intricate structure comprising several components. Each structure has been described separately, but the interplay among them and physiologic... (Review)
Review
The female vulva is an intricate structure comprising several components. Each structure has been described separately, but the interplay among them and physiologic significance remain controversial. The structures extend inferiorly from the pubic arch and include the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, vestibule, and clitoris. The clitoris is widely accepted as the most critical anatomic structure to female sexual arousal and orgasm. The female sexual response cycle is also very complex, requiring emotional and mental stimulation in addition to end organ stimulation.
Topics: Clitoris; Female; Humans; Orgasm; Sexual Behavior; Vulva
PubMed: 26880506
DOI: 10.1016/j.ogc.2015.10.011 -
Acta Medica Portuguesa Jan 2022Sebaceous carcinoma of the vulva is a rare malignancy of the sebaceous glands, with potentially aggressive behaviour, that is usually found in the peri-ocular area.... (Review)
Review
Sebaceous carcinoma of the vulva is a rare malignancy of the sebaceous glands, with potentially aggressive behaviour, that is usually found in the peri-ocular area. Nonetheless, there are sebaceous glands in the vulva and this diagnosis is especially rare, with only ten cases described in the literature. We report a case of 78-year-old female patient who presented with vulvar pruritus, previously treated with topical steroid and antifungal treatments, without improvement. The vulvar examination showed a visible yellow papule, 12 x 10 mm on the right major labia, which was biopsied and the microscopic examination revealed an invasive sebaceous carcinoma of the vulva, with an in situ component. We performed an uneventful excisional biopsy, followed by a subsequent margin widening. Three months after the diagnosis, she presented with the first recurrence. Two and half years after the diagnosis, she recurred with a larger lesion (13 mm) in the upper half of small right lip, more than 10 mm away from the midline. In a multidisciplinary meeting it was decided that the patient should undergo partial right vulvectomy with homolateral inguino-femoral sentinel node biopsy (one negative node). There was no evidence of recurrence one-year post-surgery.
Topics: Aged; Biopsy; Carcinoma; Female; Humans; Vulva; Vulvar Neoplasms
PubMed: 35225764
DOI: 10.20344/amp.13551 -
Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.) Apr 2015The clitoris may be the most pivotal structure for female sexual pleasure. While its significance has been reported for hundreds of years, no complete anatomical... (Review)
Review
The clitoris may be the most pivotal structure for female sexual pleasure. While its significance has been reported for hundreds of years, no complete anatomical description was available until recently. Most of the components of the clitoris are buried under the skin and connective tissues of the vulva. It comprises an external glans and hood, and an internal body, root, crura, and bulbs; its overall size is 9-11 cm. Clitoral somatic innervation is via the dorsal nerve of the clitoris, a branch of the pudendal nerve, while other neuronal networks within the structure are complex. The clitoris is the center for orgasmic response and is embryologically homologous to the male penis. While the source of vaginal eroticism might or might not be exclusively clitoral stimulation, it is necessary to understand the intricate anatomy of the organ to assess the data in this regard. Ultimately, sexual enjoyment entails a balance of physical and emotional factors and should be encouraged.
Topics: Arousal; Clitoris; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Orgasm; Vagina; Vulva
PubMed: 25727497
DOI: 10.1002/ca.22524 -
Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology Sep 2015The appearance of the female external genitalia is key for understanding and diagnosing many diseases that women of all ages encounter. Alas, the normal appearance of... (Review)
Review
The appearance of the female external genitalia is key for understanding and diagnosing many diseases that women of all ages encounter. Alas, the normal appearance of the vulva is an elusive concept, scarcely represented in textbooks, and the growing number of vulvar cosmetic surgery calls for a review of the normal appearance of the vulva and its diversity. In this paper I will review vulvar embryology, anatomy, the current literature discussing vulvar appearance, and describe meticulous vulvar examination, including the diagnostic tools.
Topics: Biopsy; Female; Gynecological Examination; Humans; Microscopy; Patch Tests; Vagina; Vaginal Smears; Vulva
PubMed: 26083130
DOI: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000123 -
International Journal of Dermatology Oct 2023
Topics: Female; Humans; Vulva
PubMed: 37208995
DOI: 10.1111/ijd.16715 -
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology :... Oct 2013When a healthy woman expresses concerns about her vulva, the doctor's response should be informed by clinical knowledge. For many doctors, accumulation of such knowledge... (Review)
Review
When a healthy woman expresses concerns about her vulva, the doctor's response should be informed by clinical knowledge. For many doctors, accumulation of such knowledge would have begun with undergraduate teaching and medical textbooks. The aim of this study is to examine the information on female genital morphology in medical textbooks. A total of 59 gynaecology and anatomy textbooks were searched for information on the dimensions of vulval constitutent parts. No textbook gave measurements for all vulval structures. Vaginal length was reported in 21/59 textbooks, clitoral size in 15/59 and labia minora in 1/59. Where measurements appear, they suggest narrower ranges than recent reports. Information of vulval morphology is scanty and inaccurate in medical textbooks. The general lack of professional resources means that doctors may consciously or non-consciously rely upon personal experiences and popular culture to form their opinions, as do their patients.
Topics: Anatomy; Female; Gynecology; Humans; Textbooks as Topic; Vulva
PubMed: 24127945
DOI: 10.3109/01443615.2013.807782 -
The Journal of International Medical... Mar 2020Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a common soft tissue tumor in children, but it is rare in adults. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is a subtype of RMS and is extremely rare in... (Review)
Review
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a common soft tissue tumor in children, but it is rare in adults. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is a subtype of RMS and is extremely rare in adults, especially concerning the genital tract. We report a case of a 20-year-old woman who was admitted to and treated in our hospital for an RMS of the vulva. The patient presented with local recurrence and bone metastasis during chemotherapy after surgery and died within 1 year of diagnosis. Based on a literature review, the prognosis of ARMS in adults is poor. The treatment strategy for ARMS is not well established yet. The lungs and bone are two common sites of metastasis of ARMS.
Topics: Adult; Fatal Outcome; Female; Humans; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar; Vulva; Young Adult
PubMed: 32223663
DOI: 10.1177/0300060520905438 -
Anales de Pediatria Apr 2024
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast; Vulva; Child
PubMed: 38575469
DOI: 10.1016/j.anpede.2024.03.035 -
Trends in Genetics : TIG Apr 2012The Caenorhabditis elegans vulva has served as a paradigm for how conserved developmental pathways, such as EGF-Ras-MAPK, Notch and Wnt signaling, participate in... (Review)
Review
The Caenorhabditis elegans vulva has served as a paradigm for how conserved developmental pathways, such as EGF-Ras-MAPK, Notch and Wnt signaling, participate in networks driving animal organogenesis. Here, we discuss an emerging direction in the field, which places vulva research in a quantitative and microevolutionary framework. The final vulval cell fate pattern is known to be robust to change, but only recently has the variation of vulval traits been measured under stochastic, environmental or genetic variation. Whereas the resulting cell fate pattern is invariant among rhabditid nematodes, recent studies indicate that the developmental system has accumulated cryptic variation, even among wild C. elegans isolates. Quantitative differences in the signaling network have emerged through experiments and modeling as the driving force behind cryptic variation in Caenorhabditis species. On a wider evolutionary scale, the establishment of new model species has informed about the presence of qualitative variation in vulval signaling pathways.
Topics: Animals; Cell Lineage; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Humans; Nematoda; Phylogeny; Signal Transduction; Vulva
PubMed: 22325232
DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2012.01.002