| Transverse folds of rectum | |
|---|---|
| Coronal section of rectum and anal canal. | |
| Anatomy of the anus and rectum | |
| Latin | plicae transversae recti |
| Gray's | subject #249 1183 |
Houston's valves (or transverse folds of rectum) are semi-lunar transverse folds of the rectal wall that protrude into the rectum, not the anal canal as that lies below the rectum. Their use seems to be to support the weight of fecal matter, and prevent its urging toward the anus, which would produce a strong urge to defecate. Although the term rectum means straight, these transverse folds overlap each other during the empty state of the intestine to such an extent that, as Houston remarked, they require considerable maneuvering to conduct an instrument along the canal, as often occurs in sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy.
These folds are about 12 mm. in width and are composed of the circular muscle coat of the rectum. They are usually three in number; sometimes a fourth is found, and occasionally only two are present.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
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