Normal Vulva and Developmental Anomalies

Abstract

The vulva represents the external female genitalia, whose functions include sexual arousal, entrance for coitus, exit for the newborn, and outlet for the urinary tract. It lies within the anatomical compartment of the perineum, defined superiorly by the pelvic diaphragm, inferiorly by the skin between the buttocks and the thighs, and transversely by a diamond-shaped osteoligamentous frame, whose points are the pubis, ischial tuberosities, and coccyx. The perineum is divided by a transverse line connecting the ischial tuberosities into the anterior (urogenital) and posterior (anal) triangles. The vulva lies within the anterior triangle. It is composed of the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, vaginal vestibule, clitoris, urethral meatus, bulbs, greater vestibular (Bartholin’s) and paraurethral (Skene’s) glands, hymen, and clinical perineum. The clinical perineum is different from the anatomical perineum, and is defined as the skin between the vulva and the anus.