Fluid present in pouch of Douglas

What does it mean when there is fluid present in the pouch of Douglas during pregnancy? I know it can mean Endometriosis but seeing as i'm pregnant, i doubt it's that.

Tegan, not sure about this but how did you come by the diagnosis? Was it from ultrasound? Hope the doctor can shed some light on it for you.

You can have endo while pregnant but it will of course not be active. All that really means is that nothing new develops as far as lesions etc. but I'm guessing that if something is already there, pg might not mean that it goes away.

I had endo too but mine was removed at laparoscopy six months before I became pg.

Mel - Yes i had an ultrasound on Wednesday and read it in the notes but at my appointment today my doctor didn't say anything. It didn't really take much for me to become pregnant but i've had 2 m/c could this maybe be the cause of them or would that be unrelated do you think?

Tegan - I had an u/s scan today, and was told I had some fluid surrounding too. The doctor said it wasn't a problem, and didn't seem concerned at all.

Good luck xx

I also had this on my report last pregnancy, and the doctor wasnt concerned either and all turned out ok :)

Hi there Tegan,

I had fluid in the pouch of Douglas before pregnancy because I had endo. I don't think that the fluid causes the m/c but endo can cause it.

Your fluid was present before pregnancy but should be ok now since you are pregnant.

If you are concerned then maybe talk to a to a gyno about this or your OB. You may need a laparoscopy to correct it. But if they say it is fine don't worry. Lots of people have this.

ummm....What is a pouch of Douglas?

Here you go ...

"The Pouch of Douglas is the extension of the peritoneal cavity between the rectum and back wall of the uterus in the female human body. It is also known by the names Douglas pouch, Douglas space, Douglas cul-de-sac, cavum douglassi, rectouterine pouch, excavatio rectouterina, and fossa douglasi. In women it is the deepest point of the peritoneal cavity, posterior to (behind) the uterus and anterior to (in front of) rectum. The corresponding region in men is the Excavatio rectoversicalis between the urinary bladder and rectum.

The Douglas pouch is named after the Scottish anatomist Dr James Douglas (1675–1742) who extensively explored this region of the female body. Three other nearby anatomical structures are also named for him - the Douglas fold, the Douglas line and the Douglas septum.

The pouch of Douglas, being the lowest part of the peritoneal cavity in a woman who is standing, is a common site for the spread of pathology such as ascites, tumour, endometriosis, pus, etc. "

So it is not a glamorous evening accessory, I'm sorry to say.

I wonder to what extent Douglas the Anatomist "explored this region of the female body"? He certainly left his little Scottish flag on a few internal structures in that vicinity.