Montgomery glands
*The article was translated into English using automatic translation. The editors are working on its improvement.
Montgomery's glands (areolar glands) are small anatomical formations located in the areola along the periphery of the nipple. Their number can vary from 4 to 28 (usually 10-12). They develop along with the mammary glands and are often present even in girls, but they reach their greatest development towards the end of pregnancy and exist throughout the entire period of lactation. After childbirth and the end of lactation, the development of Montgomery tubercles most often stops, and the areola becomes the same as it was before pregnancy.
They are named after the Irish obstetrician William Featherstone Montgomery, who first described these structures.
Montgomery's glands are morphologically modified sebaceous glands located under the skin around the nipple.
The glands produce oily secretions (lipoid fluid), very rich in fats, which protect the areola from drying out, keep the areola and nipples lubricated, and have weak bactericidal properties. Volatile compounds in these secretions may also serve as an olfactory stimulus for the newborn's appetite.
The areas of the gland visible on the surface of the areola (lat. areola ) are called “Montgomery tubercles” (lat. tuberculus Montgomerii ). At the tops of these tubercles, the excretory duct of the Montgomery gland itself opens.