Why is rectovesical pouch important?
Clinical significance When a man is upright or supine, the rectovesical pouch is the lowest part of his peritoneal cavity. Because of this, peritoneal fluid and other fluids that enter the peritoneal cavity, including ascites, blood and pus, tend to collect in this pouch.
What is in the rectovesical pouch?
The rectovesical pouch is the lowest part of the peritoneal cavity and usually contains loops of small bowel or sigmoid colon. It is 7.5 cm from the anal margins and is a potential space for fluid collection in males.
Is the pouch of Douglas in males?
The pouch of Douglas (cul-de-sac) represents the caudal extension of the peritoneal cavity. It is the rectovaginal pouch in the female and the rectovesical pouch in the male. The cul-de-sac is in a dependent position when either upright or supine; it is, therefore, a frequent location for seeded lesions.
What is Rectovesical fascia?
The rectoprostatic fascia (Denonvilliers’ fascia) is a membranous partition at the lowest part of the rectovesical pouch. It separates the prostate and urinary bladder from the rectum. It consists of a single fibromuscular structure with several layers that are fused together and covering the seminal vesicles.
Why is there fluid in the pouch of Douglas?
The “mass effect” of a distended bladder may cause fluid in the pouch of Douglas to migrate to other parts of the peritoneal cavity, such as the peritoneal reflection over the fundus of the uterus. Fluid in this location produces a characteristic triangular “cap” and was present in 42 patients (29% of the study group).
How is rectovesical pouch formed?
The sigmoid colon is on a mesentery, while the rectum is retroperitoneal. The anterior surface of the rectum has a peritoneal covering, which extends deep in the pelvis in women, forming the rectouterine pouch (of Douglas) as it is reflected along the posterior surface of the uterus.
What is the purpose of the pouch of Douglas?
In humans, the pouch of Douglas is the female counterpart of the rectovesical excavation in males. This space is used in end-stage renal failure dialysis where the tip of the catheter is placed. Word origin: named after the Scottish anatomist Dr James Douglas who extensively explored this region of the female body.
What is the Douglas pouch?
Pouch of Douglas: An extension of the peritoneal cavity between the rectum and the back wall of the uterus. Also known as the rectouterine pouch.
Does fluid in the pouch of Douglas means pregnancy?
Fluid or blood in the Pouch of Douglas may be a feature of a tubal pregnancy that is aborting or that has ruptured. In the Pouch of Douglas, free fluid may emanate from a ruptured or leaking ectopic gestation and/or from a ruptured corpus luteum.
How do you get the fluid out of a pouch of Douglas?
Culdocentesis is the puncture and aspiration (withdrawal) of fluid from the pouch of Douglas or rectouterine pouch. The pouch of Douglas or rectouterine pouch is formed between the part of the gut and the uterus. The procedure involves the introduction of a needle through the vaginal wall into the pouch of Douglas.
Does pouch of Douglas have fluid?
The pouch of Douglas should always be evaluated at the time of a transvaginal ultrasound, as the findings are often helpful in supporting a pelvic pain diagnosis. Because fluid from the pouch of Douglas protects the body from contamination, checking it on transvaginal ultrasound is vital.
What are the symptoms of pouch of Douglas?
The presenting symptoms were varied, including abdominal pain and distension, abnormal uterine bleeding, lump at introitus and reduced stool caliber. The majority were thought to have either uterine or ovarian pathology except for four whose pre-operative scans suggested POD malignancies.
What is the pathophysiology of the ischiorectal fossa?
The normal and pathologic ischiorectal fossa at CT and MR imaging. A wide spectrum of disease processes involve the ischiorectal fossa, including congenital and developmental lesions; inflammatory, traumatic, and hemorrhagic conditions; primary tumors; and pathologic processes outside the ischiorectal fossa with secondary involvement.
What is rectovesical pouch?
Rectovesical pouch is the forward reflection of the peritoneum from the middle third of the rectum to the upper part of the bladder in males. The rectovesical pouch is the lowest part of the peritoneal cavity and usually contains loops of small bowel or sigmoid colon.
Where is the rectovesical space located?
Inferior to the rectovesical pouch, is a region known as the rectovesical space. The space is so named as it is located posterior to the urinary bladder and prostate, and anterior to the distal third of the rectum (extraperitoneal part).
What is the rectoprostatic fascia?
The rectoprostatic fascia ( Denonvilliers’ fascia) is a membranous partition at the lowest part of the rectovesical pouch. It separates the prostate and urinary bladder from the rectum.