Peculiarities of ultrasound diagnostics of paraurethral glands in women of fertile age

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14739/2310-1237.2021.2.214397

Keywords:

paraurethral glands, ultrasound, Doppler colour flow mapping

Abstract

Aim. Evaluation of ultrasound diagnostics of paraurethral glands considering their types of location in women of fertile age.

Materials and methods. A gynaecological, sexological and ultrasound study of 94 women in the age from 24 to 42 (average age 31.01 ± 6.60) was carried out.

Determination of paraurethral glands during ultrasound study was conducted in the format of grey scale (B-mode) using the Doppler colour flow mapping and evaluation of Doppler indices of paraurethral glands both before and after sexual stimu­lation. To optimize the paraurethral glands visual view at the beginning of examination urinary bladder was catheterized and a balloon, filled with gel, was inserted into vagina.

Results. The front type of paraurethral glands location was found in the accumulation of glandular tissues in regard to the distal part of urethra in 67 (71.2 %) of the examined, back type – in the area of back urethra in 19 (20.2 %), diffuse type – along urethra in 7 (7.5 %) and absence – in 1 (1.1 %). Paraurethral glands were visualized in the form of clear isoechogenic oval formation with the following dimensions: length – 2.20 ± 0.60 cm, width – 1.52 ± 0.40 cm, thickness – 1.30 ± 0.30 cm, and volume – 4.75 ± 0.50 cm3.

The diameter of vessels in the paraurethral glands area was between 0.17 cm and 0.21 cm in calm state and 0.39–0.41 cm – during stimulation. Maximum systolic speed of blood flow (Vps) in calm was 8.9–11.1 cm/sec, while in sexual stimulation it was 13.9–14.1 cm/sec, resistance index (IR) – 0.60–0.62 and 0.63–0.68, respectively, pulsation index (IP) – 1.22–1.44 and 1.61–1.72, respectively.

Conclusions. The ultrasound study of vessels of paraurethral glands, when Doppler method is used according to the suggested methodology, gives the opportunity not only to identify its anatomical structure, but also to determine its types. In CDC the increase of diameter of vessels and the optimization of vessels image in the area of paraurethral glands in case of sexual stimulation were marked.

Author Biographies

V. M. Grygorenko, State Institution “Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv

MD, PhD, DSc, Senior Researcher, Head of the Department of Restorative Urology and New Technologies

O. V. Romashchenko, State Institution “Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv

MD, PhD, DSc, Professor, Chief Researcher of the Department of Restorative Urology and New Technologies

V. V. Biloholovska, State Institution “Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv

State Institution “Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv

M. O. Kosiukhno, State Institution “Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv

Senior Laboratory Assistant of the Department of Restorative Urology and New Technologies

S. M. Melnykov, State Institution “Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv

MD, PhD, DSc, Chief Researcher of the Department of Restorative Urology and New Technologies

A. L. Klius, State Institution “Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv

MD, PhD, Urologist of ІІ Urology Department

References

Biancardi, M. F., Dos Santos, F. C., de Carvalho, H. F., Sanches, B. D., & Taboga, S. R. (2017). Female prostate: historical, developmental, and morphological perspectives. Cell Biology International, 41(11), 1174-1183. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbin.10759

Evatt E. J. (1911). A Contribution to the Development of the Prostate Gland in the Human Female, and a Study of the Homologies of the Urethra and Vagina of the Sexes. Journal of anatomy and physiology, 45(Pt 2), 122-130.

Zaviacic, M., Jakubovská, V., Belosovic, M., & Breza, J. (2000). Ultrastructure of the normal adult human female prostate gland (Skene's gland). Anatomy and embryology, 201(1), 51-61. https://doi.org/10.1007/pl00022920

Santos, F. C. A., & Taboga, S. R. (2018). Female prostate: a review about the biological repercussions of this gland in humans and rodents. Animal Reproduction, 3(1), 3-18.

Chen, Y., Zhao, J. Z., Feng, R. E., Shi, J. H., Li, X. M., Fei, Y. Y., Shi, Y., Zhang, W., & Zhang, F. C. (2016). Types of Organ Involvement in Patients with Immunoglobulin G4-related Disease. Chinese medical journal, 129(13), 1525-1532. https://doi.org/10.4103/0366-6999.184459

De Graaf R. (1672). De mulierum organis generationi inservientibus. Tractatus novus demonstranstamhomines et animalia caetera omnia, quae viviparadicuntur, haud minus quam vivipara abovooriginem ducere. Leyden.

Zaviacic, M., Zaviacicová, A., Brozman, M., Holomán, I. K., Bruchac, D., Oberucová, J., & Kokavec, M. (1985). Prostata zeny alebo Skeneove zl'azy a vývody? (Dôvody pre návrat k pôvodnému termínu De Graafe) [The female prostate or Skene's glands and ducts? (Reasons for returning to De Graaf's original term)]. Ceskoslovenska gynekologie, 50(5), 372-377.

Korda, J. B., Goldstein, S. W., & Sommer, F. (2010). The history of female ejaculation. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(5), 1965-1975. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01720.x

Skene, A. J. C. (1880). The anatomy and pathology of two important glands of the female urethra. NY: William Wood & Co. http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101316080

Ribatti D. (2019). Rudolf Virchow, the founder of cellular pathology. Romanian journal of morphology and embryology = Revue roumaine de morphologie et embryologie, 60(4), 1381-1382.

Zaviacic, M. (1999). The human female prostate : from vestigial Skene's paraurethral glands and ducts to woman's functional prostate. Slovak Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019852411051

Gittes, R. F. (2002). Female prostatitis. The Urologic clinics of North America, 29(3), 613-616. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0094-0143(02)00062-9

Johnson, F. P. (1922). The homologue of the prostate in the female. The Journal of Urology, 8(1), 13-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(17)73790-1

Zaviačič, M., Ablin, R., Ružič, M., Štvrtina, S., Galbavý, Š., Danihel, Ľ., Pohlodek, K., Zaviačič, T., & Holomáň, K. (2000). Immunohistochemical study of prostate-specific antigen in normal and pathological human tissues: Special reference to the male and female prostate and breast. Journal of Histotechnology, 23(2), 105-111. https://doi.org/10.1179/his.2000.23.2.105

Zaviacic, M., & Ablin, R. J. (2000). The female prostate and prostate-specific antigen. Immunohistochemical localization, implications of this prostate marker in women and reasons for using the term "prostate" in the human female. Histology and histopathology, 15(1), 131-142. https://doi.org/10.14670/HH-15.131

Zaviacic, M., Zaviacic, T., Ablin, R. J. & Holoman, J. (2001). The human female prostate: history, functional morphology and sexology implications. Sexologies, 11, 44-49.

Taboga, S. R., Góes, R. M., Zanetoni, C., & Santos, F. C. A. (2001). Ultrastructural characterization of the prostate secretory cells. A comparative study between the male and female organs. Acta Microscopica, 3, 205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellbi.2003.12.008

Zaviacic, M. (1987). The female prostate: nonvestigial organ of the female. A reappraisal. Journal of sex & marital therapy, 13(2), 148-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/00926238708403888

Zaviačič, M., Zajíčková, M., Blažeková, J., Donárová, L., Štvrtina, S., Mikulecký, M., Zaviačič, T., Holomáň, K., & Breza, J. (2000). Weight, Size, Macroanatomy, and Histology of the Normal Prostate in the Adult Human Female: A Minireview. Journal of Histotechnology, 23(1), 61-69. https://doi.org/10.1179/his.2000.23.1.61

Huffman, J. W. (1948). The detailed anatomy of the para-urethral ducts in the adult human female. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 55(1), 86-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9378(48)90157-4

Zaviacic, M., Brozman, M., Zajícková, M., Blazeková, J., & Oberucová, J. (1985). The adult human female urethra. Enzyme-histochemical study. Acta histochemica, 77(2), 165-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-1281(85)80078-7

Wernert, N., Albrech, M., Sesterhenn, I., Goebbels, R., Bonkhoff, H., Seitz, G., Inniger, R., & Remberger, K. (1992). The 'female prostate': location, morphology, immunohistochemical characteristics and significance. European urology, 22(1), 64-69. https://doi.org/10.1159/000474724

Zaviacic, M., & Whipple, B. (1993). Update on the female prostate and the phenomenon of female ejaculation. Journal of Sex Research, 30(2), 148-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499309551695

Perry, J. D., & Whipple, B. (1981). Pelvic muscle strength of female ejaculators: Evidence in support of a new theory of orgasm. Journal of Sex Research, 17(1), 22-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224498109551095

Wimpissinger, F., Stifter, K., Grin, W., & Stackl, W. (2007). The female prostate revisited: perineal ultrasound and biochemical studies of female ejaculate. The journal of sexual medicine, 4(5), 1388-1393. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00542.x

Zaviacic, M., Ruzicková, M., Jakubovský, J., Danihel, L., Babál, P., & Blazeková, J. (1994). Výnam prostatických markerov v ortológii zenskej prostaty [The significance of prostate markers in the orthology of the female prostate]. Bratislavske lekarske listy, 95(11), 491-497.

Cartwright, R., Elvy, S., & Cardozo, L. (2007). Do women with female ejaculation have detrusor overactivity?. The journal of sexual medicine, 4(6), 1655-1658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00541.x

Egloff, B. (1972). Pathologische anatomie der weiblichen urethra. In Vulva, Vagina, Urethra (pp. 433-488). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Inomata, T., Ninomiya, H., Somiya, H., Saito, H., & Mochizuki, K. (1992). Histological observation on the female prostate in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Jikken dobutsu. Experimental animals, 41(3), 383-386. https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim1978.41.3_383

Rodríguez, D., de Lima, R. F., Campos, M. S., Costa, J. R., Biancardi, M. F., Marques, M. R., Taboga, S. R., & Santos, F. (2016). Intrauterine exposure to bisphenol A promotes different effects in both neonatal and adult prostate of male and female gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Environmental toxicology, 31(12), 1740-1750. https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.22176

Romashchenko, O. V., Hryhorenko, V. M., Biloholovska, V. V., Melnykov, S. M., & Kosiukhno, M. O. (2019). Sposib identyfikatsii typu zhinochoi peredmikhurovoi zalozy [Method for identifying the type of female prostate gland]. Ukraine Patent UA 120007.

Itani, M., Kielar, A., Menias, C. O., Dighe, M. K., Surabhi, V., Prasad, S. R., O'Malley, R., Gangadhar, K., & Lalwani, N. (2016). MRI of female urethra and periurethral pathologies. International urogynecology journal, 27(2), 195-204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-015-2790-x

Wimpissinger, F., Tscherney, R., & Stackl, W. (2009). Magnetic resonance imaging of female prostate pathology. The journal of sexual medicine, 6(6), 1704-1711. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01287.x

Grafenberg, E. (1950). The role of the urethra in female orgasm. International Journal of Sexology, 3(2), 145-149.

Addiego, F., Belzer Jr, E. G., Comolli, J., Moger, W., Perry, J. D., & Whipple, B. (1981). Female ejaculation: A case study. Journal of Sex Research, 17(1), 13-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224498109551094

Goldstein, I., Clayton, A. H., Goldstein, A. T., Kim, N. N., & Kingsberg, S. A. (Eds.). (2018). Textbook of female sexual function and dysfunction: Diagnosis and treatment. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119266136.fmatter

Buisson, O. (2010). Le point G ou l'absence de médecine sexuelle féminine [The G-spot and lack of female sexual medicine]. Gynecologie, obstetrique & fertilite, 38(12), 781-784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gyobfe.2010.10.005

Buisson, O., Foldes, P., & Paniel, B. J. (2008). Sonography of the clitoris. The journal of sexual medicine, 5(2), 413-417. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00699.

Buisson, O., Foldes, P., Jannini, E., & Mimoun, S. (2010). Coitus as revealed by ultrasound in one volunteer couple. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(8), 2750-2754. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01892.x

Crooks, R. & Baur, K.(1999). Our sexuality (7th ed.). New York: Brooks/Cole.

Gravina, G. L., Brandetti, F., Martini, P., Carosa, E., Di Stasi, S. M., Morano, S., Lenzi, A., & Jannini, E. A. (2008). Measurement of the thickness of the urethrovaginal space in women with or without vaginal orgasm. The journal of sexual medicine, 5(3), 610-618. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00739.x

Downloads

Published

2021-08-20

How to Cite

1.
Grygorenko VM, Romashchenko OV, Biloholovska VV, Kosiukhno MO, Melnykov SM, Klius AL. Peculiarities of ultrasound diagnostics of paraurethral glands in women of fertile age. Pathologia [Internet]. 2021Aug.20 [cited 2024Dec.23];18(2):203-10. Available from: http://pat.zsmu.edu.ua/article/view/214397

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2021): Pathologia

Section

Original research

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Лицензия Creative Commons
    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (SeeThe Effect of Open Access).