The pararectal fossa (or pararectal pouch) is an inferior-ward extension of the peritoneum on either side of the rectum. It is formed by a (sacrogenital) fold of peritoneum extending inferior-ward from the posterolateral pelvic wall. It represents a lateral extension of the rectouterine pouch in the female, and of rectovesical pouch in the male.[1] It varies in size with the distension of the rectum.[citation needed]

In females, the pararectal fossae often represent the inferior-most portion of the peritoneal cavity (sometimes, the inferior-most portion is instead rectouterine pouch).[2]

External links

  • Anatomy photo:43:02-0402 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "The Female Pelvis: Distribution of the Peritoneum in the Female Pelvis"

References

  1. ^ "pararectal fossa". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  2. ^ Moore, Keith L.; Dalley, Arthur F.; Agur, Anne M. R. (2017). Essential Clinical Anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 570. ISBN 978-1496347213.

Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1154 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)