Culdocentesis is a medical procedure involving the extraction of fluid from the
rectouterine pouch
The rectouterine pouch (rectovaginal pouch, pouch of Douglas or cul-de-sac) is the extension of the peritoneum into the space between the posterior wall of the uterus and the rectum in the human female.
Structure
In women, the rectouterine pouch ...
(pouch of Douglas) posterior to the
vagina
In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...
through a needle. It can be one diagnostic technique used in identifying
pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), also known as pelvic inflammatory disorder, is an infection of the upper part of the female reproductive system, mainly the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, and inside of the pelvis. Often, there may be no ...
(in which case
purulent fluid will be extracted) and ruptured ectopic pregnancies that cause hemoperitoneum.
In the procedure, the rectouterine pouch is often reached through the posterior
fornix of the vagina. The process of creating the hole is called colpotomy if a scalpel incision is made to drain the fluid rather than using a needle.
See also
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Amniocentesis
Amniocentesis is a medical procedure used primarily in the prenatal diagnosis of genetic conditions. It has other uses such as in the assessment of infection and fetal lung maturity. Prenatal diagnostic testing, which includes amniocentesis, is ...
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Colposcopy
Colposcopy ( + ''skopos'' 'look at') is a medical diagnostic procedure to visually examine the cervix as well as the vagina and vulva using a colposcope.
The main goal of colposcopy is to prevent cervical cancer by detecting and treating precanc ...
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Culdoscopy
Culdoscopy is an endoscopic procedure performed to examine the rectouterine pouch and pelvic viscera by the introduction of a culdoscope through the posterior vaginal wall. The word culdoscopy (and culdoscope) is derived from the term cul-de ...
References
External links
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"Culdocentesis and colpotomy"at
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
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Female genital procedures
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