
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Labioscrotal folds
Introduction
The labioscrotal folds (or labioscrotal swellings, or genital swellings) are paired structures in the human embryo that represent the final stage of development of the caudal end of the external genitals before sexual differentiation. In both males and females the two swellings merge:
- In the female, they become the posterior labial commissure. The sides of the genital tubercle grow backward as the genital swellings, which ultimately form the labia majora; the tubercle itself becomes the mons pubis. In contrast, the labia minora are formed by the urogenital folds [1]
- In the male, they become the scrotum.
