In human female anatomy, the vesicouterine pouch, also uterovesicle pouch, is a fold of

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesotheli ...

over the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

and the

bladder The bladder () is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys. In placental mammals, urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra during urination. In humans, the bladder is a distens ...

. Like 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 ...

, it is a

female An organism's sex is female ( symbol: ♀) if it produces the ovum (egg cell), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete (sperm cell) during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females and ...

pelvic recess, but shallower and closer to the anterior fornix of the vagina.

Structure

The vesicouterine pouch is a fold of

over the

and the

, forming a pelvic recess. It is continued over the intestinal surface and body of the

onto its vesical surface, which it covers as far as the junction of the body and cervix uteri, and then to the bladder. It is narrowest when the uterus is anteverted rather than retroverted. The deepest point of the vesicouterine pouch is typically higher than the deepest point of the

Variation

When the uterus is very anteverted, the vesicouterine pouch is deeper than usual.

Clinical significance

The vesicouterine pouch may become attached to the

, preventing sliding of the bladder past the uterus. This may occur in a third of women who have had a

caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the Surgery, surgical procedure by which one or more babies are Childbirth, delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because va ...

, and in some cases of

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease in which Tissue (biology), tissue similar to the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, grows in other places in the body, outside the uterus. It occurs in women and a limited number of other female mammals. Endomet ...

. The vesicouterine pouch is an important anatomical landmark for chronic endometriosis. Endometrial seeding in this region causes cyclical pain in women of child-bearing age. This pouch is also an important factor in a

retroverted uterus A retroverted uterus (tilted uterus, tipped uterus) is a uterus that is oriented posteriorly, towards the rectum in the back of the body. This is in contrast to the typical uterus, which is oriented forward (slightly "Anteversion, anteverted") t ...

, which can frequently complicate

pregnancies Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception usually occurs following vaginal intercourse, but can also o ...

History

Etymology

The vesicouterine (or vesico-uterine) pouch is also called the vesicouterine (or vesico-uterine) excavation, uterovesical (or utero-vesical) pouch, or excavatio vesicouterina. The combining forms reflect the bladder ('' vesico-'', ''-vesical'') and uterus ('' utero-'', ''-uterine'').

Structure

Variation

Clinical significance

History

Etymology

Additional images

See also

References

External links