Definitions Flashcards
Alpha-feto protein (αFP)
Protein produced by the yolk sac and fetal liver.
Amenorrhoea
Absence of menstruation.
Amniocentesis
Transabdominal, transuterine insertion of a needle into the amniotic cavity to extract amniotic fluid.
Amnion
The inner fetal membrane.
Amniotic fluid
The fluid surrounding the fetus.
Amniotomy
Artificial creation of a hole in both fetal membranes (amnion and chorion); used to induce or accelerate labour (also called Artificial Rupture of Membranes (ARM) or puncture of membranes (POM).
Anovulation
Failure of the ovary to release an oocyte during a menstrual cycle
Antepartum haemorrhage (APH):
Bleeding from the genital tract from 24+0 weeks of gestation to the birth of the baby.
Anti-D immunoglobulin
Immunoglobulin G used to prevent Rhesus D antibody formation in Rhesus D negative women.
Apgar score
A method of assessing the clinical condition of the neonate by scoring out of 10. Scores are usually given at 1 and 5 minutes of life.
Marks are given for:
- heart rate (2),
- respiration (2)
- colour (2)
- tone (2)
- reflex activity (2)
Arias-Stella reaction
A benign histological change of the endometrium present in ectopic pregnancy.
Ashermann’s syndrome
Amennorhoea due to adhensions within the uterine cavity
Asthenozoospermia
Reduced sperm motility
Asymptomatic bacteriuria
Bacteria in a concentration of ≥ 10^5/ml of urine without symptoms of urinary tract infection.
Azoospermia
Absence of sperm in semen.
Bartholin’s glands
Mucous-secreting paravaginal glands susceptible to cystic enlargement and abscess formation
Biophysical profile
A method of assessing fetal well-being by ultrasound inspection of the fetal behaviour and amniotic fluid volume.
A score out of 8 is given for:
- fetal breathing movement (2)
- fetal tone (2)
- fetal gross body movement (2)
- amniotic fluid volume (2).
It is often used in conjunction with cardiotocography.
Bishop’s score
A method of recording the examination of the cervix.
Breech presentation
(Subtypes?)
The situation when the fetal buttocks or lower limbs are closest to the maternal cervix. It is subdivided into:
- Complete breech (hips and knees flexed)
- Frank breech (hips flexed, knees extended)
- Footling (hips and knees extended)
Complete Breech
The situation when the fetal buttocks or lower limbs are closest to the maternal cervix with hips and knees flexed
Bradycardia (fetal)
A fetal heart rate below 100 beats per minute for 5 minutes.
Braxton Hick’s contractions
Painless sporadic contractions of the uterus.
Frank Breech
The situation when the fetal buttocks or lower limbs are closest to the maternal cervix with hips flexed, knees extended
Footling
The situation when the fetal buttocks or lower limbs are closest to the maternal cervix with hips and knees extended
Candidiasis
Clinical infection with the yeast Candida albicans.
Brow
The part of the fetal head between the root of the nose and the anterior fontanelle.
Caesarean Section
The delivery of the fetus through a transabdominal transuterine incision.
Caput succedaneum and what it should be differentiated from?
Soft tissue oedema of the baby’s scalp following delivery.
A benign condition to be distinguished from cephalohematoma (subperiosteal haematoma) and chignon (following vacuum extraction)
Cardio-tocography
Simulataneous recording of the fetal heart rate (‘cardio’) and uterine contraction (’toco’). It is widely used to assess fetal well-being.
Cephalo-pelvic disproportion
Maternal pelvis of inadequate dimensions to accommodate passage of the fetal head.
Cervical incompetence
This is an imprecise clinical term applied to women with a history of second-trimester miscarriage where it has been assumed that the cervix was ‘weak’ and unable to remained closed during pregnancy.
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
A potentially pre-malignant histological state of the cervix associated with colposcopic abnormalities.
Chloasma
Brown discolouration of the face during pregnancy.
Choriocarcinoma
Malignant tumour of the placenta usually preceded by a hydatidiform mole.
Chorion
The outer fetal membrane.
Chorionic gonadotrophin
A hormone produced by the syncytiotrophoblast.
Chocolate cyst
A cyst of the ovary containing old blood, and therefore brown in colour. It is often, but not exclusively, associated with endometriosis.
Chorionic villi
Branching tentacles of the placenta coming from the chorion.
They allow for maximum contact between the maternal and fetal circulations. They are sites of metabolic and gaseous exchange. Chorionic villi are of fetal origin and thus, may be sampled during pregnancy to provide fetal genetic material for chromosomal or genetic analysis.
Colostrum
Thin fluid secreted by the breasts during the first days after delivery and before the production of milk. It is rich in immunoglobulins.
Climacteric
The phase of time around the end of the reproductive life in the female.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
The procedure of obtaining a biopsy of the chorion villi for chromosomal or genetic analysis.
Colposcopy
Direct inspection of the cervix through a magnifying lens.
Colporrhaphy
A surgical procedure of the vagina used to treat cystocele and rectocele.
Cord prolapse
An obstetric emergency in which the umbilical cord is extruded through the cervix and usually into the vagina while the fetus remains in the uterus.
Corpus luteum
The structure formed from the ovarian follicle following ovulation.
Cotyledon
The lobes of the placenta
Couvelaire uterus
A uterus in which blood has penetrated into the myometrium (and occasionally through the full thickness of the myometrium and into the peritoneal cavity) following severe placental abruption.
Decidua
The endometrium during pregnancy, which is shed following delivery.
Cryptomenorrhoea
Menstrual blood retained within the uterus or vagina. It occurs because of a lower genital tract outflow obstruction, usually an imperforate hymen, and presents as primary amenorrhoea
Vs. Haematocolpos: Menstrual blood retained within the vagina.
Curettage
Surgical removal of the endometrium by scraping with a curette.
Cystocele
Prolapse of bladder, producing a bulge of the anterior vaginal wall.
Cystometry
Technique for assessing the response of the bladder to increasing volume. It is also called ‘Urodynamics’.
Dermoid cyst
A benign teratoma of the ovary.
Cysto-uretrocele:
Prolapse of the bladder and urethra.
Dizygotic twinning
Twin pregnancy resulting from two individual zygotes.
Donor gamete
Sperm or oocyte collected from a donor and used in assisted reproduction.
Doppler ultrasound
Use of ultrasound waves to assess velocity of blood flow.
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding
Abnormal menstruation in the absence of demonstrable uterine or endocrine pathology.
Dysgerminoma
A germ cell tumour of the ovary.
Dysmenorrhoea
Painful menstruation
Dyspareunia
Painful sexual intercourse.
Dystocia
Abnormal progress in labour.
Ductus arteriosus:
The connection between the fetal pulmonary artery and the descending arch of the aorta.
Eclampsia
A disease of pregnancy causing seizures, in the presence of new onset hypertension.
Ectopic pregnancy
Implantation of a pregnancy outside of the uterine cavity. It occurs most commonly in the fallopian tube.
Endometriosis
The presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity.
Endometrium
The mucous membrane lining the uterus which responds to ovarian hormones during the menstrual cycle.
Engagement
The fetal head is engaged when its maximum diameters (suboccipito-bregmatic and biparietal, when the head is well flexed) have passed through the pelvic inlet.
Epidural analgesia
Injection or infusion of a local anaesthetic into the epidural space to effect analagesia.
Episiotomy
Incision of the perineum to facilitate childbirth and to protect the anal sphincters from obstetric injury.
Ergometrine
A primary ergot alkaloid used to effect contraction of the myometrium.
External cephalic version
Manual conversion of fetal presentation from breech to cephalic, by manipulation through the maternal abdominal wall.
Fetal growth restriction
The failure of a fetus to reach its growth potential.
Ferning
Description of the typical pattern of cervical mucous on a laboratory slide at the time of ovulation. A ferning pattern is also produced by amniotic fluid after rupture of the fetal membranes.
First Trimester Screening
A screening test (not a diagnostic test) for Trisomies 13, 18 and 21.
Follicular cyst:
A small normal cyst of the ovarian surface that develops from a graafian follicle. It is usually < 5 cm in maximum diameter and is unilocular.