Subcutaneous tissue of perineum

The subcutaneous tissue of perineum (or superficial perineal fascia, but the term fascia for this structure should be abandoned, according to TA2) is a layer of subcutaneous tissue surrounding the region of the perineal body.

This tissue is similar to the subcutaneous tissue of abdomen (superficial fascia of the lower anterior abdominal wall), which consists of a superficial fatty layer and deeper membranous layer.

The subcutaneous tissue of perineum consists of two layers, superficial and deep.

• The superficial layer, or subcutaneous perineal space, is thick, loose, areolar in texture, and contains in its meshes much adipose tissue, the amount of which varies in different subjects. In front, it is continuous with the dartos tunic of the scrotum; behind, with the subcutaneous areolar tissue surrounding the anus; and, on either side, with the same fascia on the inner sides of the thighs. In the middle line, it is adherent to the skin on the raphe and to the deep layer of the superficial fascia.

• The deep layer, or membranous layer of perineal subcutaneous tissue (fascia of Colles) is thin, aponeurotic in structure, and of considerable strength, serving to bind down the muscles of the root of the penis and crus of clitoris. It is attached to the perineal membrane (posterior margin), perineal body, fascia lata of the superomedial thigh, and Scarpa's fascia of the abdomen. In males, the membranous layer is continuous with dartos fascia in the scrotum and in females helps form the labia majora.