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Glite Dictionary
mesorectum

mesorectum

9.9
Fatty tissue around the rectum that contains small blood vessels and lymph nodes
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛzəˈrɛktəm/
  • Specialized
: mesorrecto
  • The surgeon carefully removed the cancerous tissue along with the surrounding mesorectum to ensure a complete excision.

Examples

  • The total resection of the mesorectum for LS offers some results that open pathways in expert hands.

    Academic text (2007)

  • At the present time, among the main indications of endoscopic surgery in colorectal pathology are: segmental resection, hemicolectomy, and resection of the right and mesorectum.

    Academic text (2007)

  • During the operation, the team analyzed the mesorectum to check for any signs of disease spreading to nearby lymph nodes.

  • The pathology report indicated that the mesorectum showed no signs of malignancy, which was a positive outcome.

Surface Forms

mesorectum singular
mesorectums plural

Morphology

mesorectum = rectum (semi-transparent) = meso + rectum

The relation to 'rectum' is clear, but the combining form 'meso-' and the specific anatomical sense ('fatty tissue surrounding the rectum') require medical knowledge and are not fully derivable by an average learner.

Etymology

The word mesorectum joins meso- meaning 'middle' and rectum meaning the 'straight part of the bowel', so the mesorectum is the fatty tissue that sits around the middle of the rectum and contains blood vessels and lymph nodes.