Krause's glands

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Krause's glands or Krause glands are small, mucous accessory lacrimal glands that are found underneath the eyelid where the upper and lower conjunctivae meet. [1] Their ducts unite into a rather long sinus which open into the fornix conjunctiva. [2] There are approximately forty Krause glands in the region of the upper eyelid, and around 6 to 8 in the region of the lower lid. [2] The function of these glands are to produce tears which are secreted onto the surface of the conjunctiva.

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There are rare instances of tumors associated with Krause's glands. They usually occur as retention cysts in cicatricial conditions of the conjunctiva. Krause's glands are named after German anatomist Karl Friedrich Theodor Krause (1797–1868).

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Karl Friedrich Theodor Krause was a German anatomist born in Hanover.

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Sebaceous carcinoma Medical condition

Sebaceous carcinoma, also known as sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGc), sebaceous cell carcinoma, and meibomian gland carcinoma is an uncommon malignant cutaneous tumor. Most are typically about 1.4 cm at presentation. SGc originates from sebaceous glands in the skin and, therefore, may originate anywhere in the body where these glands are found. SGc can be divided into 2 types: periocular and extraocular. The periocular region is rich in sebaceous glands making it a common site of origin. The cause of these lesions in the vast majority of cases is unknown. Occasional cases may be associated with Muir-Torre syndrome. SGc accounts for approximately 0.7% of all skin cancers, and the incidence of SGc is highest in Caucasian, Asian, and Indian populations. Due to the rarity of this tumor and variability in clinical and histological presentation, SGc is often misdiagnosed as an inflammatory condition or a more common neoplasm. SGc is commonly treated with wide local excision or Mohs micrographic surgery, and the relative survival rates at 5 and 10 years are 92.72 and 86.98%, respectively.

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Concretion in the palpebral conjunctiva, is called conjunctival concretion, that is a small, hard, yellowish-white calcified matter, superficially buried beneath the palpebral conjunctiva. Most of concretions in the eye form in the palpebral conjunctiva, which is a clear membrane to surround the inside of the eyelid; fewer can be located in the cornea and retina.

Accessory lacrimal glands Exocrine glands which secrete tears

Krause's glands, Wolfring's glands and Popov's gland are the accessory lacrimal glands of the lacrimal system of human eye. These glands are structurally and histologically similar to the main lacrimal gland. Glands of Krause are located in the stroma of the conjunctival fornix, and the glands of Wolfring are located along the orbital border of the tarsal plate. These glands are oval and display numerous acini. The acini are surrounded, sometimes incompletely, by a row of myoepithelial cells. Animal studies suggest that the ducts of Wolfring glands have a tortuous course and open onto the palpebral conjunctiva. Like the main lacrimal gland, the accessory lacrimal glands are also densely innervated, but they lack parasympathetic innervation. These glands are exocrine glands, responsible for the basal (unstimulated) secretion of the middle aqueous layer of the tear film. 20 to 40 glands of Krause are found in the upper fornix, and 6-8 glands appear in the lower fornix. There are usually 2 to 5 Ciaccio's glands, and are found along the superior tarsal border of the upper eye lid. Popov’s glands are located within the substance of the caruncle.

References

  1. Friedman, Neil J.; Kaiser, Peter K. (2007). Essentials of Ophthalmology. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 7. ISBN   978-1416029076 . Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 Lemp, Michael A.; Marquardt, Rolf (2013). The Dry Eye: A Comprehensive Guide. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 58. ISBN   9783642581304 . Retrieved 11 November 2017.

Further reading