Ridley's The Vulva. Группа авторов

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Ridley's The Vulva - Группа авторов

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mons pubis (mons) in the adult female is a prominent pad of hair‐bearing skin and subcutaneous fat overlying the pubic symphysis. It forms an inverted triangle with the base being the anterior horizontal line of pubic hair growth. The average length of the base is 16 cm, and the height about 13 cm [12].

      The character of pubic hair varies with ethnic background, as it is generally thicker in type 5 and 6 skin types. The normal hair density is 6–31 hairs/cm2, but this, together with the rate of hair growth, reduces with age. About a third of women over the age of 60 have progressive loss of pubic hair [13]. There is no change in the thickness of the hair with age. In contrast to hair growth in the axillae and on the scalp, pubic hair growth is not altered during pregnancy [14].

Mean (mm) Range (mm)
Clitoris
Width 4.7 1–22
Length 10.0 5–35
Clitoris to urethra 25.0 3–65
Labia majora
Length 8.3 12–180
Labia minora
Length 50.0 5–100
Width 28.6 1–61
Perineum 25.7 3–55
Urethra
Length 40.0 19–45

      The labia minora are two thin folds of keratinised skin that lie medial to the labia majora and lateral to the vestibule. They are separated from the labia majora by interlabial folds (sulci) in which the normal secretions from the adjacent skin surfaces may accumulate. Anteriorly, the labia minora divide into lateral and medial parts. The lateral parts join in a fold of skin over the glans to form the prepuce or hood of the clitoris, and the medial parts join under the clitoris to form its frenulum. Posteriorly, the labia minora fuse to form a transverse fold behind the vaginal opening, the fourchette.

      There is also wide variation in the texture of the labia minora. In a study of 50 women, the rims of the labia minora were smooth in 14, moderately rugose in 34, and markedly rugose in 2 [6]. Pigmentation of the rims is very common and was confirmed in 41 of the 50 patients.

      The clitoris is a complex structure, and our understanding of the anatomy has been helped by the use of MRI studies [15,16].

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