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Aim: To determine the ultrastructural effects of sildenafil on the female genital organs., Methods: Twenty female cycling Wistar albino rats weighing 250+/-20 g were randomly divided into two groups of 10 each. Rats of one group were gavaged with 0.5 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) of sildenafil 3 days in a week for 4 weeks and the other served as the controls. After cessation of treatment animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation under methoxyflurane anaesthesia. The clitoris, vagina, uterus and bartholin glands were taken at the estrous and were fixed with 10% formalin solution for light microscopy and 2.5% glutaraldehyde and osmic acid for electron microscopy., Results: Under the light microscope, the fibrocollageous tissue was found increased, the capillaries enlarged and the connecting tissue elements increased in the corpus cavernosum in the treated group. On electron microscopy, increased connective tissue, fibroblasts with notched nucleus, shorten immature collagen fibers without striation were seen. Abundant foldings and penetration with collagen bundles were observed in the basal membrane. Large connection complexes, especially gap junctions among the wide capillary endothelial cells were observed., Conclusion: There are evident histological changes due to sildenafil citrate in female rat corpus cavernosum. The clitoris and bartholin glands were the most effected organs. While the histopathological changes of clitoral tissue could be expected, an increase in the mass of bartholin gland was surprising.

Salivary gland-type carcinomas arising in Bartholin's gland are rare neoplasms. We report the case of a 75-year-old female who presented with a vulvar tumor with morphological and immunophenotypical features identical to those of salivary gland basal cell adenocarcinomas. We believe that the tumor was most likely of Bartholin's gland origin, although no Bartholin's gland tissue was found adjacent to the neoplasm. This type of malignancy with myoepithelial differentiation has not been previously reported to arise in the Bartholin's gland.

The authors report two examples of the tubular variant of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the Bartholin's gland. Each occurred in young women (both aged 34 years) and presented with a painful indurated mass, clinically thought to be of inflammatory nature. On microscopic examination, the most distinctive feature was the haphazard proliferation of bland-appearing tubular structures often lined by two cell layers. A thin, periodic acid-Schiff-positive basement membrane immunoreactive for collagen IV surrounded the tubules, but hyaline globules were virtually absent. The inner cell layer was strongly and diffusely cytokeratin positive, whereas epithelial membrane antigen reactivity was seen only along the luminal borders. Focal positivity for S100 protein identified the peripheral myoepithelial cells, which were confirmed by electron microscopy. Focal perineural invasion was seen. The histologic, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical features of these tumors are similar to those of the tubular variant of adenoid cystic carcinoma arising in major and minor salivary glands. In one of the cases, which was followed for 6 years, the tumor metastasized, despite the low histologic grade, and the patient died. Similarities and differences between the tubular, cribriform, and solid variants and other vulvar tumors are discussed.

The cytologic and histologic findings in an extremely rare case of adenocarcinoma of Bartholin's gland are described. The tumor cells in scraping and fine needle aspiration smears were in clusters. The nuclei were oval to oblong, and some cells had a peripherally displaced nucleus. The chromatinic material was slightly increased, and some nuclei had prominent nucleoli. The cytoplasm was basophilic and abundant. Microcalcifications and psammoma bodies were numerous. The tentative diagnosis was primary adenocarcinoma of Bartholin's gland, based on the cytologic findings and location of the tumor. Similar findings were noted in the biopsy and surgical specimens.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland is a rare tumor, of which 45 cases including the present one have been reported in the literature. Although the histogenesis of this tumor is still controversial, the tumor is suspected to be of myoepithelial origin, and most studies have been performed on the salivary glands with few reports concerning Bartholin's gland. We report a case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland with regard to its histogenesis. A typical tumor nest had three main components: true luminary structures containing sialomucins, solid monotonous cells of a myoepithelial nature, and numerous pseudocysts containing abundant proteoglycans and basal membrane-like materials. From these results we speculate that reserve cells located in the intercalated small ducts of Bartholin's gland may have the potential to differentiate into two cell types, myoepithelial and luminary cells, the former forming the pseudocysts.

A small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma that arose in Bartholin's gland in a 30-year-old woman is reported. The tumor had light, electron microscopic, and immunohistochemical features typical of pulmonary small cell carcinoma and was metastatic to inguinal lymph nodes at presentation. This is the first reported example of this tumor occurring in Bartholin's gland.

A patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland is reported and the literature relevant to this disease reviewed. The clinical presentation is characterized by a vulvar mass that has existed for a prolonged period prior to the onset of symptoms, usually infection, pain, and burning. Histologically the tumor is characterized by a cribriform pattern and perineural invasion. Electron microscopy confirms the epithelial nature of this lesion. Conclusions concerning therapy are presented, including emphasis on initial radical vulvectomy and the fact that the efficacy of routine lymphadenectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy has not been demonstrated.

The case of a 41-year-old woman with well-differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma of the Bartholin's gland was studied submicroscopically. The tumor consisted of three types of cells with different types of exocrine secretory granules: (1) Principal cells, which were the most frequently observed component of the tumor, had numerous small, secretory granules of round shape with very high electron density. These granules resembled membrane-bound dense bodies observed in normal Bartholin's duct cells. (2) Goblet-like cells had larger secretory granules with low electron density, resembling secretory granules of normal Bartholin's gland cells. (3) Eccrine sweat gland-like cells had large, irregular-shaped secretory granules with moderate electron density. This has been observed in neither normal Bartholin's gland nor duct cells, and resembles secretory granules of eccrine sweat gland cells. Furthermore, fibrillar bodies, frequently described in normal Bartholin's gland cells, were seen in a few tumor cells. These submicroscopic findings suggest that this tumor derived from Bartholin's duct cell, differentiating to gland cell and/or eccrine sweat gland cell.

In the present paper, a study is made of the normal structure shown in Bartholin and Cowper glands of 100 female fetuses and 100 male fetuses of Wistar rats at the end of gestation, with the structure of bulbouretral glands that formed in 70 female fetuses of the same species and period of gestation masculinized by androgens. In relation to the Bartholin glands, whose bilateral sketch is constant in the fetuses, we can affirm that it shows significant differences of structure with regards to the sketch of the Cowper gland. On the opposite, the histologycal details of the latter, are entirely identical to those shown by the bulbouretral glands of the masculinized female fetuses, a fact which permits us to affirm that these are authentic Cowper glands, not only because of their position, but also because of their structure. This morphological data corresponds to a masculinization phenomenon and demonstrates that the Bartholin and Cowper glands are very sensitive to the effect of androgens during gestation.

Endocrine cells were investigated in human Bartholin's glands by use of histochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods. Endocrine cells represent normal constituents of these glands, being mainly distributed throughout the transitional epithelium of the major excretory duct; however, single elements are dispersed among the acinar lobules. Serotonin-, calcitonin-, katacalcin-, bombesin- and alpha-hCG-immunoreactive cells were recognized, with serotonin-immunoreactive cells predominating. Co-expression of calcitonin, katacalcin or alpha-hCG with serotonin was observed in single endocrine cells. At the ultrastructural level, these cells are richly granulated and show typical neuroendocrine features. Bartholin's glands display an endocrine profile quite similar to that of other cloacal-derived tissues.