cytology and histology

Last reviewed 01/2018

Apocrine sweat glands are coiled tubular glands which, with light microscopy, can be seen to originate in the deep dermis and end with a broad duct opening onto the hair follicle.

The gland contains only one type of secretory cell, cuboidal in shape, which loses its luminal cytoplasm to create the gland discharge: a form of apocrine secretion. Often, the secretions are lipid-like and contained in membrane-bound vesicles which are exocytosed.

Alike eccrine sweat glands, apocrine glands also have myoepithelial cells and stratified cuboidal epithelium lining the duct.