71 - A Women’s Place Is in the Anatomical Sciences: One Step Closer to Equitable Representation of Diversity in Urogenital Gross Anatomy and Histology

Poster Board Number: 71
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Ruby Martini - University of Colorado Graduate School; Keanan Sather - University of Colorado Graduate School; Chelsea Lohman - Assistant Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine

Abstract Body : Introduction and Objective:




For too long, the study of reproductive anatomy has been considered taboo and a privileged subject exclusive to specialists despite its importance in public health and family planning. Further, most educational resources focus on typical male anatomy. Female reproductive anatomy resources are limited to internal organs with minimal depictions of detailed external anatomy. Histology resources mirror this representation disparity which can translate to inequitable education and healthcare; in fact, vulvar pathologies are often under or misdiagnosed due to limited diagnostic and prognostic guidelines. In this study, dissection and histological sampling of a female donor’s urogenital tract were completed with the goal of identifying and visualizing two understudied female reproductive organs: greater vestibular (GV) and paraurethral (P) glands.




Materials and Methods:




A 34-year-old donor with consent for education and research was selected due to the presence of an exemplary reproductive tract. Donor records disclosed sepsis, pneumonia, colon cancer, and autoimmune liver failure. The internal and external urogenital organs were removed in two organ blocs. A 3cm segment of the urogenital tract from 2.5cm to 5.5cm proximal to the vaginal orifice was serially sectioned into six 0.5cm transverse slices for histology. Histological processing and slide preparation were completed by the CU Anschutz Research Histology Laboratory using standard protocol.




Results:




Gross observation of the urogenital tract revealed no apparent GV or P glands. Histological exam revealed poor preservation of urethral and vaginal epithelia; however, surrounding stroma and glands retained excellent tissue and cellular integrity. Bilateral GV glands were observed at 2.5cm proximal to the vaginal orifice with the largest diameter of ~1 cm each. The compound tubuloacinar glands mostly comprised of mucin secreting cells on either side of the vaginal mucosa were histologically consistent with limited GV gland tissue references. No apparent P glands were observed in sampled tissues.




Discussion & conclusion:




Representation disparities in anatomical sciences reference materials remains problematic. In this study, the exceedingly rare gift of a young donor presented an opportunity to study and produce educational materials from the underrepresented female urogenital tract. The identified GV gland histology contributes diversity to the limited database. Although tissue sampling was informed by the literature on P glands, none were identified in this study suggesting potential anatomic variation or inaccuracies in the limited available literature, underscoring the critical need to address the persistent gaps in anatomical education & health care resources.