Skene's gland
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219980607
2008-06-17T19:06:20Z
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{{Infobox Anatomy
| Name = Skene's gland
| Latin =
| GraySubject = 252
| GrayPage = 1213
| Image = Skenes_gland.jpg
| Caption = Skene's Gland
| Image2 = Female anatomy.png
| Caption2 = Human female internal reproductive anatomy. (Skene's gland not labeled, but region is visible.)
| Precursor = [[Wolffian duct]]
| System =
| Artery =
| Vein =
| Nerve =
| Lymph =
| MeshName =
| MeshNumber =
| DorlandsPre = g_06
| DorlandsSuf = 12391811
}}
In [[human anatomy]] (female), the '''Skene's glands''' (also known as the '''lesser vestibular''', '''periurethral glands''', '''paraurethral glands''',<ref>{{Dorlands|g_06|12391811|paraurethral glands}}</ref> or '''female [[prostate]]''') are [[glands]] located on the anterior wall of the [[vagina]], around the lower end of the [[urethra]]. They drain into the urethra and near the urethral opening. These glands are surrounded with tissue, which includes the part of the [[clitoris]] that reaches up inside the vagina and swells with [[blood]] during [[sexual arousal]].
===Relation with orgasm===
There is some evidence that [[nerve]]s in this area produce an [[orgasm]] different from the one produced by [[clitoris|clitoral stimulation]].{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
==Homology and possible functions==
The location of the Skene's gland is the general area of the [[urethral sponge]]. The Skene's glands are [[homology (biology)|homologous]] with the [[prostate gland]] in males.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Zaviacic M, Jakubovská V, Belosovic M, Breza J | title = Ultrastructure of the normal adult human female prostate gland (Skene's gland). | journal = Anat Embryol (Berl) | volume = 201 | issue = 1 | pages = 51–61 | year = 2000 | pmid = 10603093}}</ref>
===Female ejaculation===
{{main|Female ejaculation}}
Some believe that the Skene's glands are the source of [[female ejaculation]].<ref>{{cite journal
|first=D |last=Rabinerson |coauthors=E Horowitz. |year=2007 |month=February |title=G-spot and female ejaculation: fiction or reality? |journal=Harefuah. |volume=146 |issue=2 |pages=145–7, 163 |pmid=17352286
|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17352286&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
|accessdate=2007-06-22}}</ref> In [[2002]], [[Emanuele Jannini]] of [[L'Aquila University]] in Italy showed that there may be an explanation both for the phenomenon and for the frequent denials of its existence. Skene's glands have highly variable anatomy, and in some extreme cases they appear to be missing entirely. If Skene's glands are the cause of female ejaculation and [[G-spot]]-orgasms, this may explain the observed absence of these phenomena in many women.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Jannini E, Simonelli C, Lenzi A | title = Sexological approach to ejaculatory dysfunction. | journal = Int J Androl | volume = 25 | issue = 6 | pages = 317–23 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12406363 | doi = 10.1046/j.1365-2605.2002.00371.x}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author = Jannini E, Simonelli C, Lenzi A | title = Disorders of ejaculation. | journal = J Endocrinol Invest | volume = 25 | issue = 11 | pages = 1006–19 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12553564}}</ref>
===Female prostate===
The fluid that emerges during [[female ejaculation]] has a composition similar to the fluid generated in males by the [[prostate]] gland,<ref>{{cite journal | author = Kratochvíl S | title = Orgasmic expulsions in women | journal = Cesk Psychiatr | volume = 90 | issue = 2 | pages = 71–7 | year = 1994 | pmid = 8004685}}</ref> containing biochemical markers of sexual function like Human Protein 1<ref>{{cite journal
|first=M|last=Zaviacic|coauthors=L Danihel, M Ruzicková, J Blazeková, Y Itoh, R Okutani, T Kawai.|year=1997|month=March
|title=Immunohistochemical localization of human protein 1 in the female prostate (Skene's gland) and the male prostate.
|journal=Histochem J.|volume=29|issue=3|pages=219–27|pmid=9472384
|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=9472384&ordinalpos=18&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
|accessdate=2007-06-22
|doi=10.1023/A:1026401909678}}</ref> and the enzyme [[CGMP specific phosphodiesterase type 5|PDE5]]. When examined with electron microscopy, both glands show similar secretory structures,<ref>{{cite journal
|first=Z |last=Zaviacic |coauthors=V Jakubovská, M Belosovic, J Breza. |year=2000 |month=January
|title=Ultrastructure of the normal adult human female prostate gland (Skene's gland). |journal=Anat Embryol (Berl). |volume=201 |issue=1 |pages=51–61 |pmid=10603093
|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10603093&ordinalpos=13&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
|accessdate=2007-06-22}}</ref> and both act similarly in terms of prostate-specific [[antigen]] and prostate-specific [[acid phosphatase]] studies.<ref>{{cite journal
|first=Z|last=Zaviacic|coauthors=M Ruzicková, J Jakubovský, L Danihel, P Babál, J Blazeková.|year=1994|month=November|title=The significance of prostate markers in the orthology of the female prostate
|journal=Bratisl Lek Listy.|volume=95|issue=11|pages=491–7|pmid=7533639
|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=7533639&ordinalpos=22&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
|accessdate=2007-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
|first=N|last=Wernert|coauthors=M Albrech, I Sesterhenn, R Goebbels, H Bonkhoff, G Seitz, R Inniger, K Remberger.|year=1992|month=
|title=The 'female prostate': location, morphology, immunohistochemical characteristics and significance.
|journal=Eur Urol.|volume=22|issue=1|pages=64–9|pmid=1385145
|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=1385145&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
|accessdate=2007-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
|first=SL|last=Tepper|coauthors=J Jagirdar, D Heath, SA Geller.|year=1984|month=May
|title=Homology between the female paraurethral (Skene's) glands and the prostate. Immunohistochemical demonstration.
|journal=Arch Pathol Lab Med.|volume=108|issue=5|pages=423–5|pmid=6546868
|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=6546868&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
|accessdate=2007-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
|last=Pollen|first=JJ|coauthors=A. Dreilinger|year=1984|month=March
|title=Immunohistochemical identification of prostatic acid phosphatase and prostate specific antigen in female periurethral glands.
|journal=Urology.|volume=23|issue=3|pages=303–4|pmid=6199882
|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=6199882&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
|accessdate=2007-06-22
|doi=10.1016/S0090-4295(84)90053-0}}</ref> Because they are increasingly perceived as merely different versions of the same gland, some researchers are moving away from the name ''Skene's gland'' and referring to it instead as the '''female prostate.'''<ref>{{cite journal
|first=Z |last=Zaviacic |coauthors=RJ Ablin. |year=2000 |month=January
|title=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.
|journal=Histol Histopathol.
|volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=131–42 |pmid=10668204 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10668204&ordinalpos=11&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
|accessdate=2007-06-22}}</ref>
==Eponym==
The glands were named after the [[physician]] who described them first in [[Western medicine|Western medical]] literature, [[Alexander Skene]].<ref>{{WhoNamedIt|synd|2038|Skene's glands}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Orgasm#In female humans|Vaginal orgasm]]
* [[Pudendal nerve]]
* [[Bartholin's gland]]
* [[Wolffian duct]]
* [[List of homologues of the human reproductive system]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
* [http://www.incontinet.com/skenesgland.htm The paraurethral glands in scientific literature]
* [http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992495 New Scientist story]
* [http://www.sexuality.org/mvgstim.html Sexuality.org G-spot information page]
* [http://www.orgasms.co.nr Orgasm and Sex]
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{{Female reproductive system}}
[[Category:Glands]]
[[Category:Gynecology]]
[[Category:Exocrine system]]
[[Category:Female reproductive system]]
[[cs:Skeneho žlázy]]
[[de:Paraurethraldrüse]]
[[dv:ސްކީންސް ގްލޭންޑް]]
[[es:Glándulas de Skene]]
[[fr:Glande de Skene]]
[[lt:Skeno liauka]]
[[nl:Para-urethrale klieren]]
[[ja:スキーン腺]]
[[pt:Glândula de Skene]]
[[simple:Skene's gland]]
[[sv:Skenes körtlar]]
[[zh:斯基恩氏腺]]