Description
The labia have an outer pigmented surface that develops hair and an inner smooth surface that contain sebaceous follicles. Between these layers is the subcutaneous tissue. Composed of loose connective tissue intermixed with adipocytes and smooth muscle cells, as well as nerves and vessels. There are two layers of subcutaneous tissue in the labia majora:
- a superficial layer analogous to the superficial fatty layers (or Camper’s fascia) of the anterior abdominal wall;
- a deeper membranous layer (or Colles’ fascia) similar to the membranous layer (or Scarpa’s fascia) of the anterior abdominal wall (Standring, 2016).
The labia majora, and its underlying cutaneous tissue, cushions and protects the underlying structures of the external genitalia.
In general, subcutaneous tissue is composed of loose connective tissue containing adipose tissue. It is found just underneath the dermis, as opposed to the visceral fat which lies within the peritoneal cavity. The amount of adipose tissue depends on various aspects, such as the location in the body, sex of the individual, and the nutrition of the individual. There is no adipose tissue in the subcutaneous portions of the eyelids, clitoris, or penis. The subcutaneous tissue contains an extensive network of blood vessels. These are important for the rapid uptake of drugs delivered by hypodermal injections, such as insulin (Ross and Pawlina, 2006).
References
Ross, M. H. and Pawlina, W. (2006) Histology: A text and atlas. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series: Elsevier Limited.
