| Pararectal fossa | |
|---|---|
 The peritoneum of the male pelvis. (Pararectal fossa visible at center left.)
| |
 Female pelvis and its contents, seen from above and in front. (Pararectal fossa labeled at bottom left.)
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| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | fossa pararectalis |
| TA98 | A10.1.02.514 |
| TA2 | 3728 |
| FMA | 19749 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
In the male, the peritoneum encircles the sigmoid colon, from which it is reflected to the posterior wall of the pelvis as a fold, the sigmoid mesocolon. It then leaves the sides and, finally, the front of the rectum, and is continued on to the upper ends of the seminal vesicles and the bladder; on either side of the rectum it forms a fossa, the pararectal fossa, which varies in size with the distension of the rectum.
External links
- Anatomy photo:43:02-0402 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "The Female Pelvis: Distribution of the Peritoneum in the Female Pelvis"
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1154 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)