Sudoriferous glands

The sexual dimorphism in cutaneous gland activity indicated by the sternal stain in male opossums is readily apparent at the histological level during the breeding season. The sternal skin of males is a site of hypertrophied sebaceous and sudoriferous gland units and well adapted for odor collection and dispersion. The folding of the skin surface provides a likely area for bacteria to collect and aid in the degradation of exudate and odor production, as well as an increased surface area for scent dispersal. 

Sudoriferous cysts are small, roimd, translucent, elevated masses caused by blockage of the ducts of Moll s glands. One or more lesions, tanging from 2 to 4 mm in diameter, may be observed on the anterior eyelid margin.The cysts are painless but can occasionally cause irritation or interfere with successful contact lens wear. They are filled with clear watery fluid (Figure 23-23). 

However, the selectivity of this determinant has proven useful in the evaluation of some benign sudoriferous lesions. For example, although sporadic GCDFP-15 staining in encountered in a minority of eccrine sweat gland adenomas, it is consistently displayed in tumors with known apocrine differentiation." The apparent exception has been that of benign mixed tumor... 

It has also been suggested that PCNC is closely related to sweat gland carcinomas. However, despite having studied more than 200 cases of Merkel cell carcinoma, the authors have never observed any reactivity in that lesion for CEA, S-100 protein, CA72.4, or GCDFP15, as seen in sudoriferous tumors. 

Apocrine sudoriferous (sweat) glands were also more prevalent and better developed in male sternal skin than in other skin types. The variability in size and configuration of apocrine units in male sternal skin exceeded the variability seen in male sternal sebaceous glands. Some of these were extremely complex, coiled structures located deep in the dermis, while others occurred much closer to the skin surface (Fig. lA). Heightened activity of apocrine glands of all types was evident from the presence of eosinophilic contents of their lumina. 

The weight of wool produced by sheep varies considerably from one breed to another, and an average value is useful only as an example. The typical annual fleece production of a 50 kg Merino would be approximately 5.0 kg, of which about 3.0 kg (60 per cent) represents clean dry wool fibres, with the remaining 2.0 kg (40 per cent) being wool wax, suint, dirt and water. Wool wax is produced by the sebaceous glands and consists mainly of esters of cholesterol and other alcohols, along with the fatty acids normally found in glycerides. Suint, the secretion of the sudoriferous... 

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