Which sweat glands become active at puberty

For patients with refractory hyperhidrosis, endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy can be considered. Hypohidrosis and anhidrosis are conditions of diminished and absent sweat production, respectively. When a large surface area of the body is affected, individuals are at risk of developing heat stroke. Hidradenitis suppurativa HS is a chronic condition that occurs primarily in the intertriginous skin characterized by occlusion of follicles, chronic inflammation, and progressive scarring.

The pathogenesis of the condition is unknown, but plugging the follicles can lead to rupture and inflammation of the apocrine glands. HS is associated with smoking and several other conditions, including obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, insulin resistance, and inflammatory bowel disease. While HS initially appears as nodules, most commonly in the axilla, these nodules often rupture, releasing mucopurulent discharge. When nodules recur, sinus tracts are often formed. Treatment for HS includes preventative care as well as medical and surgical therapy.

Topical and oral antibiotics are considered first-line therapy. However, systemic medications should be considered for unresponsive diseases. For patients with severe disease, surgical excision can provide permanent relief.

Bromhidrosis is a condition in which an individual has excessive body odor. There are two variants depending on whether eccrine or apocrine glands are affected. Apocrine bromhidrosis occurs only after puberty and is typically due to bacteria breaking down fatty acids in sweat.

The type of skin flora present influences the odor, and Corynebacterium is thought to produce a particularly pungent scent. Eccrine bromhidrosis can be either localized or generalized. Localized eccrine bromhidrosis occurs most commonly on the feet as well as other areas that are particularly prone to maceration secondary to sweat as this leads to the bacterial breakdown of keratin and the production of odor.

Generalized eccrine bromhidrosis usually occurs due to ingestion of certain substances or systemic illness.

Therapies for bromhidrosis are generally targeted at reducing sweat and bacteria from the affected area, though antibiotics and surgical sweat gland destruction can be considered. Chromhidrosis, or colored sweat, is due to the presence of lipofuscin pigment in sweat glands, most commonly apocrine sweat glands. This pigment can lead to the production of yellow, blue, green, or black sweat.

Treatments include botulinum toxin injection and capsaicin cream. Miliaria, or sweat rash, is a skin disease caused by the blockage or inflammation of eccrine sweat glands. There are three types of miliaria dependent on the level of obstruction: crystalline, rubra, and profunda. Treatment for miliaria includes maintaining a cool environment, cool compresses, and applying topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors.

Fox-Fordyce is a skin disorder caused by the blockage of apocrine sweat glands that leads to the formation of pruritic, skin-colored papules, most commonly in the axilla and groin. This condition can occur in any individual, but women between the ages of 13 and 35 are the most at risk. Topical therapies include corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, clindamycin, and retinoids.

Other forms of treatment include surgical excision and phototherapy. Handbook of clinical neurology. European journal of applied physiology. The American Journal of dermatopathology. Allergology international : official journal of the Japanese Society of Allergology. European journal of pediatrics. Clinics in dermatology. Anatomy, Skin, Sudoriferous Gland. Free Review Questions. Introduction Sudoriferous glands, also known as sweat glands, are either of two types of secretory skin glands, eccrine or apocrine.

Structure and Function Both eccrine and apocrine glands secrete in a merocrine manner such that substances are released by exocytosis without damage or loss of the secreting cell. Embryology Eccrine glands are derived from embryonic ectoderm.

Blood Supply and Lymphatics In the dermis, two vascular plexuses lie parallel to the surface of the skin. Nerves The sympathetic nervous system innervates eccrine glands.

Clinical Significance Hyperhidrosis is a condition in which patients sweat more than necessary to regulate core body temperature. The pilosebaceous unit comprises the hair follicle, hair shaft, arrector pili and sebaceous glands.

The sebaceous glands are found along the hair follicles and secrete a liquid substance called sebum a mix of lipids in response to hormonal stimulation. The glands vary in size and number, but are mostly on the scalp, face, upper torso and anogenital areas. They are relatively inactive during childhood, but become very active during puberty. Sebum helps lubricate and waterproof the skin and hair, keeping them pliable; the fatty acids of sebum also have antibacterial properties and prevent water loss from the skin in low-humidity environments.

Also known as sudoriferous glands from the Latin sudor , meaning sweat , these produce sweat to cool the body when it becomes warm. Sweat glands develop from epidermal projections into the dermis and are classified as eccrine glands, as the secretions are excreted by exocytosis through a duct without affecting the cells of the gland.

There are two types of sweat glands — eccrine and apocrine — each of which secretes slightly different products. There are more than two million of these and, although they are found over the whole body, they are more numerous in the forehead, axillae, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. These coiled structures are usually at the junction between the dermis and the subcutaneous layer, with a duct leading through the dermis and epidermis to a pore on the skin surface, where the sweat is released Graham-Brown and Bourke, ; Fig 2.

The sweat, released by exocytosis, is hypotonic and mostly water, with some salt, antibodies, traces of metabolic waste and dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide. Apocrine sweat glands become active during puberty, and are also coiled structures; their ducts open into hair follicles Fig 2.

They are larger than eccrine sweat glands, lie deeper in the dermis and are sometimes found in the hypodermis. Less numerous than eccrine glands, they are found in the axillae as well as in more-localised sites — namely the nipples, perineum and scalp. Apocrine sweat , as well as containing water and salts, includes organic compounds that make it thicker than eccrine sweat and subject to bacterial decomposition and subsequent smell.

The release of this sweat is under nervous and hormonal control. Apocrine sweat plays a role in the poorly understood human pheromone response and regulating body temperature Graham-Brown and Bourke, Nails consist of hardened and densely packed keratin, and protect the extremities of our fingers and toes from mechanical damage.

Offering protection for the fingertips, they facilitate grasping and tactile sensitivity in the finger. The fingertip has many nerve endings and receives information about objects we touch; the nail acts as a counterforce, providing even more sensory input. The rate of nail growth varies from person to person: fingernails average between 0. The growth of nails is a complex process and, in humans, is genetically controlled to ensure the nail is flat; this is unlike the process in other animals and primates that have claws.

Nail growth can also be negatively affected by trauma and inflammation Graham-Brown and Bourke, Tagged with: Newly qualified nurses: systems of life. Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion. You are here: Tissue viability. Skin 2: accessory structures of the skin and their functions. Abstract Understanding the skin requires knowledge of its accessory structures.

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed Scroll down to read the article or download a print-friendly PDF here if the PDF fails to fully download please try again using a different browser Read part 1 of this series here. London: Elsevier. London: Mosby Elsevier. Kolarsick PAJ et al Anatomy and physiology of the skin.