Denonvilliers' fascia

Definition

noun

The fascia at the floor of the rectovesical pouch of the peritoneum, separating the prostate and the base of the urinary bladder from the rectum.

Supplement

This membranous structure is the male counterpart of the rectovaginal fascia in the female. In sex reassignment surgery on transwomen, the vaginal cavity is created along it.

Word origin: named after Charles-Pierre Denonvilliers, a French surgeon who first described it.

Synonyms:

• rectoprostatic fascia
• fascia rectoprostatica

Compare: rectovaginal fascia