Culdocentesis refers to the extraction of fluid from the rectouterine pouch posterior to the vagina

Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...

 through a needle. It can be one diagnostic technique used in identifying pelvic inflammatory disease (if purulent fluid is extracted) and ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy, or eccysis , is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterine cavity. With rare exceptions, ectopic pregnancies are not viable. Furthermore, they are dangerous for the parent, since internal haemorrhage is a life threatening complication...

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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.

External links

• "Culdocentesis and colpotomy" at World Health Organization
  World Health Organization
  The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...