Female Vulva Research Articles

Genital warts.

Genital warts.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma with myofibroblastic differentiation of the vulva in an adolescent female

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a rare sarcoma. Only seven cases in the vulva have been reported. We present a case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the vulva in an adolescent female. The elected treatment was local wide resection.

Hormone-dependent, aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare neoplasm of undetermined etiology that occurs mainly in the female vulva and perineum. It tends to recur but does not metastasize. This case report describes findings suggestive of the possible hormone dependency of this neoplasm. A 41-year-old gravid woman developed an aggressive angiomyxoma of the left vulva with growth apparently related to the length of the pregnancy. The neoplasm marked strongly for progesterone receptors by immunohistochemical methods but was estrogen-receptor negative. The growth of the neoplasm during pregnancy and the nuclear-positive staining for progesterone receptors suggest a possible hormone (progesterone) dependency for at least some cases of aggressive angiomyxoma.

Evolution of Cell Lineage and Pattern Formation in the Vulval Equivalence Group of Rhabditid Nematodes

During the formation of the vulva in many nematode hermaphrodites or females, pattern formation, induction, and cell specification can readily be studied at a single-cell level. Nematodes thus allow an evolutionary analysis of developmental processes. We have analyzed cell lineages and pattern formation in the vulva equivalence group of six rhabditid nematodes of the genera Oscheius, Rhabditella, Rhabditoides, Pelodera, and Protorhabditis . The comparison of these species with four previously analyzed species of this family reveals evolutionary modification at several levels. The number of vulva precursor cells (VPCs) differ among species. Of the three particular cell lineages (1°, 2°, and 3°) generated by the vulva precursor cells in Caenorhabditis, two (2° and 3°) are altered, whereas the third lineage (1°) is conserved among the analyzed species. While most vulval lineages are invariant, we observe variability of the 3° lineage in Pelodera with respect to the number of precursor cells adopting this fate and the number of progeny formed. In two species, the 3° lineage generates an asymmetrical set of cells, oriented by the gonad. In Protorhabditis we frequently find animals with an additional or altered set of VPCs forming vulval tissue.

Copulatory Mechanics in the Funnel‐web Spiders Histopona torpidaand Textrix denticulata(Agelenidae, Araneae)

AbstractThe functional morphology of the copulatory organs of Histopona torpida(C. L. Koch, 1834) and Textrix denticulata(Olivier, 1789), investigated by semi‐thin serial sectioning after freeze‐fixation of the animals in copula, is described. In H. torpida, the long embolus runs through a precisely defined course in the membraneous genital pouch of the female vulva. The patellar apophysis locks the pedipalp in the female epigastric furrow. In T. denticulatathis is accomplished by the retrolateral tibial apophysis that gets hold at the female scape. In both species the conductor has a locking as well as a guiding function for the embolus. A comparison with previously investigated agelenids shows a surprising diversity in the function of the retrolateral tibial apophysis.

A Terracotta Pendant from Kalavassos-Ayious

A terracotta pendant of the Chalcolithic period found at Kalavassos-Ayious was published as representing a fish. On one of its flat sides it is decorated with an engraved herringbone motif. An attempt is made to demonstrate that this pendant and other similar ones in clay and stone from Cyprus may represent the female vulva. Such representations are not unknown in the prehistoric art of the Levant and other regions and are in complete accord with the predominant role played by symbols of fertility from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic periods and the universality of the ideology of fertility.

The Cylindroiulus truncorum-group (Diptopoda: Julidae)

AbstractThe four species of the C. truncorum-group are reviewed: Cylindroiulus truncorum (Silvestri, 1896), C. parisiorum (Brölemann & Verhoeff, 1896), C. bellus (Lignau, 1903) and C. arborum Verhoeff, 1928. Male gonopods and female vulvae of each species are fully described and illustrated. Non-sexual characters such as developmental stadia, numbers of segments and anal setae, and metazonital sculpture, are also discussed. A key to the species is given, and a new synonymy: C. costatus Verhoeff, 1941 = C. bellus (Lignau, 1903), is established. As an addendum, Julus luscus Meinert, 1868 is reconsidered, and a lectotype is designated.

Helminths of mountain lions (Felis concolor) from southwestern Texas, with a redescription of Cylicospirura subaequalis (Molin, 1860) Vevers, 1922

Nine nematode and two cestode species were recovered from the viscera of 53 mountain lions (Felis concolor) collected from four counties in southwestern Texas. The distribution patterns of the common (> 20% prevalence) helminth species (Taenia omissa, Physaloptera praeputialis, Physaloptera rara, Cylicospirura subaequalis, Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Toxascaris leonina, Metathelazia californica, and Vogeloides felis) were overdispersed and did not change with host age or sex. Abundances of the common helminth species were examined relative to sex and age-groups of the lions. Significant differences were found for abundances of T. omissa, C. subaequalis, and T. leonina between host age-groups, and for T. omissa between host sexes. Only 2 of 29 species were shared among the helminth communities of mountain lions from Texas, Oregon, and Florida, indicating a basic disparity of species common to this host across its geographic range in North America. Taenia omissa is regarded as the single core species across this host's range in North America. New host records are reported for the occurrence of Taenia multiceps, P. rara, Gnathostoma procyonis, A. tubaeforme, and V. felis. Cylicospirura subaequalis is redescribed and compared with Cylicospirura felineus, a species commonly found in Felis lynx and Felis rufus. In addition to previously described bifid versus trifid teeth in C. subaequalis and C. felineus, respectively, differences were noted in the length of spicules in males and the location of the vulva in females.

Clinical course and treatment of venereal spirochaetosis in New Zealand white rabbits.

Ten sporadic cases of venereal spirochaetosis, caused by Treponema paraluis-cuniculi, were seen in New Zealand white rabbits in two years. An equal number of males and females were affected. Females tended to have milder clinical signs than males. Lesions were usually found on the prepuce in males and the vulva in females, although the anus and skin of the perineum were also affected. Facial lesions were rare. Lesions healed in seven to 28 days in rabbits treated with penicillin. Eight rabbits had antibodies reactive in the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL), rapid plasma reagin (RPR), and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed (FTA-ABS) tests when the disease was first diagnosed. In several rabbits followed longitudinally, RPR test results became negative two to four months after antimicrobial treatment, VDRL antibody titres diminished but usually persisted at low levels, while FTA-ABS antibodies declined slowly and were still evident 12 months after treatment.

Parturition in the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans: Pattern of activity, sound production and evidence for control by the mother's brain

The mature tsetse larva descends slightly in the uterus causing a protrusion of the female's abdomen and a thrusting open of the female vulva 5–6 h before parturition. Coinciding with larval descent, the female becomes conspicuously restless. The activity pattern monitored by measuring oxygen consumption shows a progression of four discrete stages of activity before and after parturition. Immediately following parturition, the female emits a low frequency sound of 5.8 min duration that differs markedly from sounds produced during feeding or mating. Parturition can be blocked by neck-ligation of the female, thus suggesting a crucial role for the brain. Both neural and hormonal pathways appear to be involved. Transection of the nerve that innervates the uterine muscles reduces the incidence of successful parturition, and parturition in neck-ligated females can be stimulated by transfusion of haemolymph from females that have recently given birth. When parturition is blocked, larvae are retained in utero but eventually pupariate after a delay of 2.3 days.

Dermacentor variabilis and Dermacentor andersoni: Genital sex pheromones

There is evidence for the existence of a previously undescribed sex pheromone (or pheromones) in the ticks Dermacentor variabilis and D. andersoni. In addition to 2,6-dichlorophenol, which attracts mate-seeking males, a pheromone released on the cuticle of the female genital area enables the sexually excited male to locate the gonopore. The compound (or compounds) appears to act as a contact pheromone; male copulation responses are greatly reduced when the female genital surface is washed with solvents, especially hexane. It is also a potent excitant; males will puncture or dislodge barriers placed over the gonopore to copulate. However, the response is eliminated if the genital area is washed (hexane or acetone) prior to sealing the gonopore, suggesting the reproductive system as the source of the pheromone. A species specific copulation-eliciting pheromone appears necessary to excite the male to form and implant its spermatophore in the vulva of a conspecific female. Males encountering trans-specific females probe their gonopores, but mating attempts are almost always aborted within 5–10 min. The copulation-eliciting pheromone may be the same, or similar, to that used to locate the gonopore. Physical differences in the shape of the female gonopore in the two species, although slight, may contribute to the male's ability to identify conspecific females. Using this pheromone-guided process of attraction and identification, females present in mixed species populations will almost always be distinguished and inseminated by conspecific mate-seeking males.

Definition and revision of the Enoplognatha ovata (Clerck) group (Araneae: Theridiidae)

AbstractThe monophyletic Enoplognatha ovata group is defined on the basis of the following synapomorphic characters: subapical first metatarsal trichobothrium, sclerotized and modified apex of the conductor in the male palpal bulbus, and strongly developed copulatory pockets in the female vulva. In the group the male conductor and the female epigynal openings together with the copulatory pockets form a coadapted functional unit which might prevent interspecific copulation. The hitherto known range of the group covers the western Palaearctic and, apparently through recent introduction by man, the eastern and western Nearctic. Three species are included: E. ovata (Clerck) (Palaearctic, Nearctic), E. latimana n. sp. (southern Middle Europe, Nearctic) and E. penelope n. sp. (Mediterranean). The characteristics of the species are described and discussed both at the individual and population levels.

Endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumor of the vulva in a pregnant female

An unusual case of endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumor arising in the vulva and presenting during pregnancy is reported. The tumor recurred within 4 months of surgery. Despite subsequent wide excision and chemotherapy, the patient succumbed to her illness due to widespread pulmonary and pleural involvement within 11 months of onset of symptoms.

The pathogenesis of vulval lichen sclerosus et atrophicus: an immunofluorescence study

Most cases of diffuse leucoplakia of the vulva in the postmenopausal female are represented histologically by vulval dystrophy of either hyperplastic, hypoplastic or mixed type. All of these involve dermal and epidermal changes, including inflammatory cell infiltrates. However, Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus (L.S.A.) one of the hypoplastic dystrophies, represents a distinct histological entity showing oedema and homogenization of the dermis with a mononuclear infiltrate and epithelial atrophy. A review of more than 300 cases of L.S.A. of the vulva showed that various grades and combinations of the above features were seen, often in the same microscopic field. The inflammatory nature of this condition and the associated hyaline changes in the dermal collagen, around the blood vessels and along the epithelial basement membrane led to an investigation of vulval dystrophy using F.I.T.C. conjugated antisera to human IgM, IgA. IgG, IgE. C 3 and fibrin. During 1976-8 102 vulval biopsies from 39 patients were examined. Fifty-three were diagnostic of L.S.A., the rest included normal skin (11), hyperplastic dystrophy (23), and epithelial squamous carcinoma (15). The non L.S.A. groups were negative for all the antisera. Negative and positive controls for antigen specificity gave uniform results. The L.S.A. group all showed 2-4 + positive reaction for fibrin which was localized to the basement membrane, the papillary dermis and around papillary blood vessels. Twenty-seven biopsies of L.S.A. also gave 1 +−2+ positive reaction for complement (C 3 ). The positive sections for fibrin (together with parallel untreated sections) were fixed in Zenker's acetic acid solution and stained with PTAH, PAS and Masson's trichrome. All these stains were negative for fibrin when only oedema was present; however, they were variably positive in sections showing some homogeneous change in the dermis. Those sections which showed a dense sclerotic dermis were negative for fibrin both histologically and by immunofluorescent techniques. It is proposed that to remove extravascular fibrin by fibrinolytic and phagocytic mechanisms leads to the characteristic dermal morphology of L.S.A.

A New Genus of Ischnocera (Mallophaga)

Medium-sized Ischnocera. Head large with expanded temples. Wide hyaline margin which originates at the distal end of marginal carinae. Dorsal anterior plate of forehead with rounded posterior margin, and prolonged into a thickened posterior point. Ventral carina fused to distal end of marginal carina on each side. Pulvinus wide and attached to edges of ventral carinae. Ventral anterior plate and gular plate absent or indistinct. Anterior dorsal setae, preantennal setae, and post nodal setae elongated. Antennae similar in the two sexes. Tergal plates of abdominal segments separated medianly. Median chaetotaxy of tergal plates with thick flattened setae. Abdominal sternal plates indistinct. Terminal abdominal segment of male with rounded posterior margin. Posterior margin of female vulva with a row of small setae. Male genitalia simple, with inward curved parameres.

Two new mutations in the Syrian hamster.

THE Syrian hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, introduced to the laboratory by Adler and Theodor1 in 1931, is a golden-brown rodent with pale cream belly fur and two characteristic throat flashes. Melanic pigment darkens the skin of the ears and is present about the genitals in both sexes (in the region of the vulva and anus in females, and in the scrotum and spots on the prepuce in males). It is to be expected, as increasing numbers of hamsters are bred, that mutant types will appear. This note records the occurrence of two new mutations.

A NEW GENUS OF ISCHNOCERA (MALLOPHAGA)

Medium-sized Ischnocera. Head large with expanded temples. Wide hyaline margin which originates at the distal end of marginal carinae. Dorsal anterior plate of forehead with rounded posterior margin, and prolonged into a thickened posterior point. Ventral carina fused to distal end of marginal carina on each side. Pulvinus wide and attached to edges of ventral carinae. Ventral anterior plate and gular plate absent or indistinct. Anterior dorsal setae, preantennal setae, and post nodal setae elongated. Antennae similar in the two sexes. Tergal plates of abdominal segments separated medianly. Median chaetotaxy of tergal plates with thick flattened setae. Abdominal sternal plates indistinct. Terminal abdominal segment of male with rounded posterior margin. Posterior margin of female vulva with a row of small setae. Male genitalia simple, with inward curved parameres.

Roentgen Therapy of Carcinoma of Female Urethra and Vulva

From a review of the literature, it seems that external roentgen therapy has not been used in a systematic way for the treatment of the primary lesion of either carcinoma of the vulva or urethra. Some radiologists have indeed expressed amazement that it can be used without deleterious by-effects. In a paper on carcinoma of the vulva by Smith and Pollack from the Gynecological Service of Memorial Hospital, we find as late as January 1947 this sweeping statement: “The inadequacy of x-ray and radium in treating either the primary or metastatic foci of this condition is well known.” A similar impression is gained from Berven's thorough discussion of the large group of vulvar carcinoma treated at the Radiumhemmet. The reason for this misconception is probably an insufficient appreciation of the importance of the quality of the radiations used. Some of these lesions, because of their superficial location, may tempt the therapist to employ low-voltage irradiation. This will not be tolerated by the vulvar mucosa ...