Urethral glands of Littré
The urethral glands of Littré, often shortened to just the glands of Littré, and also known as the glands of Morgagni or intramural glands of the urethra, (TA: glandulae urethrales masculinae) are small glands located in the mucosa of the anterior male urethra which secrete mucus.
On this page:
Terminology
The urethral glands of Littré have been given a variety of names over the years, including the glands of Morgagni, intramural glands of the urethra, periurethral/paraurethral glands of Littre 8,10.
Gross anatomy
The small urethral glands of Littré are located solely along the course of the anterior male urethra, i.e. the bulbous and penile urethras. They are found in the largest quantities in the vicinity of the urethral bulb, but in fact are present all the way to the external urethral meatus 4.
The glands are comprised of cuboidal epithelium formed into ramifying ducts and small terminal sacs or alveoli, hence their characterization as ramified tubuloalveolar glands 8. These glands bear histological similarities with the female paraurethral Skene glands. The glands are found deep in the lamina propria in close proximity to the erectile tissues 10.
Function
The glands secrete mucus into the urethra and probably also contribute to the formation of semen 4,8.
Radiographic features
Fluoroscopy
The glands of Littré may be seen on a retrograde (ascending) urethrogram as tiny linear pools of contrast lying in the same orientation as, and filling from, the superior aspect of the penile urethra 5. Visualization of the glands is more common in those with pathology such as chronic infection or a stricture of the urethra 5.
Ultrasound
The sonography of the lithiasis of the glands of Littré has been described along with secondary glandular infection 4.
Development
The epithelium of the urogenital sinus gives rise to the glands of Littré, and also both the prostate and bulbourethral glands, which share the same embryological origin 10.
History and etymology
The glands of Littré were originally described by the French anatomist and surgeon Alexis Littré (1658-1726), who worked in Paris in 1719 3.
Related pathology
- littréitis 6
- calculi 4
- cysts 9
- carcinoma of the Littré glands: very rare 7
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Abdominopelvic
- skeleton of the abdomen and pelvis
- muscles of the abdomen and pelvis
- spaces of the abdomen and pelvis
- anterior abdominal wall
- posterior abdominal wall
- abdominal cavity
- pelvic cavity
- perineum
- abdominal and pelvic viscera
- gastrointestinal tract
- spleen
- hepatobiliary system
-
endocrine system
-
adrenal gland
- adrenal vessels
- chromaffin cells
- variants
- pancreas
- organs of Zuckerkandl
-
adrenal gland
-
urinary system
-
kidney
- renal pelvis
- renal sinus
- avascular plane of Brodel
-
variants
- number
- fusion
- location
- shape
- ureter
- urinary bladder
- urethra
- embryology
-
kidney
- male reproductive system
-
female reproductive system
- vulva
- vagina
- uterus
- adnexa
- Fallopian tubes
- ovaries
- broad ligament (mnemonic)
- variant anatomy
- embryology
- blood supply of the abdomen and pelvis
- arteries
-
abdominal aorta
- inferior phrenic artery
- celiac artery
- superior mesenteric artery
- middle suprarenal artery
- renal artery (variant anatomy)
- gonadal artery (ovarian artery | testicular artery)
- inferior mesenteric artery
- lumbar arteries
- median sacral artery
-
common iliac artery
- external iliac artery
-
internal iliac artery (mnemonic)
- anterior division
- posterior division (mnemonic)
- variant anatomy
-
abdominal aorta
- portal venous system
- veins
- anastomoses
- arterioarterial anastomoses
- portal-systemic venous collateral pathways
- watershed areas
- arteries
- lymphatics
- innervation of the abdomen and pelvis
- lumbar plexus
-
sacral plexus
- lumbosacral trunk
- sciatic nerve
- superior gluteal nerve
- inferior gluteal nerve
- nerve to piriformis
- perforating cutaneous nerve
- posterior femoral cutaneous nerve
- parasympathetic pelvic splanchnic nerves
- pudendal nerve
- nerve to quadratus femoris and inferior gemellus muscles
- nerve to internal obturator and superior gemellus muscles