The rectoprostatic fascia (Denonvilliers' fascia) is a membranous partition at the lowest part of the
rectovesical pouch. It separates the
prostate
The prostate is both an accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found only in some mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemically, and phys ...
and
urinary bladder
The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine ente ...
from the
rectum.
It consists of a single fibromuscular structure with several layers that are fused together and covering the
seminal vesicle
The seminal vesicles (also called vesicular glands, or seminal glands) are a pair of two convoluted tubular glands that lie behind the urinary bladder of some male mammals. They secrete fluid that partly composes the semen.
The vesicles are 5†...
s. It is also called ''Denonvilliers' fascia'' after French anatomist and surgeon
Charles-Pierre Denonvilliers.
The structure corresponds to the
rectovaginal fascia in the female. The rectoprostatic fascia also inhibits the posterior spread of prostatic adenocarcinoma; therefore invasion of the rectum is less common than is invasion of other contiguous structures.
References
Pelvis
Prostate
Fascia
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