190 William Montagna 



describe first the histological features in normal adult glands. 

 In discussing the ageing processes only a few of the more 

 striking morphological features will be considered. 



The Glands of Young Adults 



The axilla contains rows of coiled apocrine glands, each 

 associated with an axillary hair follicle. In histological sections 

 each gland appears as a large nest of tubules cut at various 

 planes (Figs. 1, 3). Connective tissue trabeculae separate 

 adjacent nests; the connective tissue around the gland itself 

 is very delicate. Although every section within each nest is a 

 segment of the same coiled gland, the secretory epithelium of 

 the different segments may be extremely different. In some 

 segments, the epithelial cells are very tall ; in others they may 

 be low cuboidal. Some tubules have a small lumen, others 

 have a wide one. Pigment is abundant in the cells of some 

 segments and nearly absent in those of others. These dif- 

 ferences seem to record the differences in the state of activity 

 of the various segments. Particularly in the axilla of women 

 over 30, one or more segments may be distended and the 

 epithelium reduced to squamous cells (Figs. 2, 3). In contrast 

 to the lumen of normal tubules, which contains a clear 

 colloid that does not stain with either basic or acid dyes, the 

 lumen of dilated tubules contains a flocculent fluid which 

 stains with basic dyes and often stains a strong metachro- 

 matic colour with toluidine blue. The secretory epithelial cells 

 of axillary glands usually contain pigmented granules, but the 

 amount of pigment varies from one individual to another. 

 All of the biopsy specimens removed from the same individual 

 at weekly or monthly intervals show the same characteristic 

 amount of pigment. 



In different individuals the pigment granules may be nume- 

 rous or scant, barely visible or as large as the nucleus. Pig- 

 mented granules are aggregated around a clear juxtanuclear 

 region; the terminal cytoplasmic extension of each cell is 

 always free of granules. Some cells may be full of pigment. 



