Gender Differences in the Microanatomy of Skin of Palm in Humans

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of basic elements provides opportunity to make clear vision of structure of any organ. It is well known that accurate values of thickness of epidermis of skin and its variation with body site, age and sex are important in the fields of medical and biological research. The variations in skin reaction to certain stimuli could be due to biological factors such as the epidermal thickness, dermal thickness, distribution of epidermal appendages etc. Methods: Skin was procured from palm of six freshly embalmed human cadavers. Out of these three were males and three were females. Age of the male and female cadavers ranged between 60 to 70years (mean age 67years). Skin samples measuring 1cm (L) X 0.5cm (B) were taken from center of palm. Tissue was preserved in 10% formaldehyde for 48 hours. Fixed tissue specimens were dehydrated through increasing concentrations (30%, 50%, 70%, 90% and absolute) of ethanol. After clearing the tissue in xylene, embedding was done in paraffin wax. 5 µm thick sections were cut using rotary microtome. Whole thickness of tissue was sectioned. Haematoxylin[Harris’s] and Eosin stained section was observed for 3 different fields thus for each cadaver 27 observations were obtained. Results: In females thickness of epidermis(Edp) of were observed 404.43±23.41µm,thickness of stratum corneum (330±32.83µm),layers of stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum were 4 and 3 respectively, number of rete pegs (7.52±0.94), depth of rete pegs (195.78±18.05µm), thickness of papillary dermis and reticular dermis were(135.92±13.230µm) and (386.10±8.24µm) respectively. Whereas In males thickness of epidermis(Edp) of were observed (296.63±107.03µm),thickness of stratum corneum were (112.20±63.92µm),layers of stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum were 2, number of rete pegs 16.15±3.71, depth of rete pegs (104.56±15.28µm), thicknesss of papillary dermis and reticular dermis were(142.63±40.84µm) and (483.27±116.43µm) respectively. Conclusion: Despite of the fact that subjects from both sexes belonged to the same age group, clear and statistically significant histological differences were observed in the skin of palm. Females showed thicker epidermis as well as stratum corneum but thinner dermis in comparison to males. Males had more number of rete pegs but these are shallower than females.