OB/GYN vocabulary Flashcards
abortion (AB)
discharge of an embryo from the uterus before about the 20th week of gestation; spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) is unplanned and due to the death of an embryo; elective abortion is legal termination of pregnancy; therapeutic abortion is necessary for the mother’s health
abruptio placentae
emergency condition occurring when the placenta tears away from the uterine wall prior to the birth of a fetus; requires immediate delivery of the baby
atresia
a- = without
lack of a normal body opening (for example, hysteratresia is the closing of the cervix, usually from scarring)
breast cancer
malignant tumor of the breast; usually forms in milk glands or the lining of milk ducts
cervical cancer
cervic/o = cervix -al = pertaining to
malignant tumor of the cervix; some cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus for which there is now a vaccine; regular Pap smears are used for early detection
cesarean section (CS, C-section)
surgical birth of a baby through an incision into the abdominal and uterine walls; name for Roman emperor Julius Caesar, who is said to have been the first person born using this method
chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
chori/o = chorion -nic = pertaining to
removal of a small piece of chorion for genetic analysis; can be done at an earlier stage of pregnancy than amniocentesis
conization
surgical removal of a core of cervical tissue for biopsy
cystocele
cyst/o = urinary bladder -cele = protrusion
hernia or outpouching of the urinary bladder protrudes into the vagina; can cause urinary frequency and urgency and block the vagina
dilation and curettage (D&C)
surgical procedure consisting of the widening of the cervix and scraping or suctioning out of the endometrial lining of the uterus; often performed after a spontaneous abortion or to stop excessive bleeding from other causes
eclampsia
-ia = condition
worsening of preeclampsia symptoms with development of seizures and possibly coma; may occur between the 20th week of pregnancy and up to six weeks postpartum
ectopic pregnancy
-ic = pertaining to
pregnancy occurring outside of the uterus, usually in the uterine tubes; the growing fetus will rupture the uterine tube requiring a salpingectomy; also called salpingocyesis
endometriosis
endo- = inner metr/o = uterus -osis = abnormal condition
condition when endometrial tissue appears throughout the pelvic or abdominal cavity; causes recurring pain and scarring
endometrial cancer
endo- = inner metr/o = uterus -osis = abnormal condition
condition when endometrial tissue appears throughout the pelvic or abdominal cavity; causes recurring pain and scarring
endometrial cancer
endo- = inner metr/o = uterus -al = pertaining to
cancerous tumor that forms in the lining of the uterus
fetal monitoring
fet/o = fetus -al = pertaining to
use of electronic equipment placed on the mother’s abdomen or fetus’ scalp to check the fetal heart rate (FHR) and fetal heart tone (FHT) during labor; normal FHR ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute; drop in the fetal heart rate indicates fetal distress
fibrocystic breast
fibr/o = fibrous cyst/o = sac -ic = pertaining to
benign cysts in breast tissue; not precancerous
fibroid tumor
fibr/o = fibrous -oid = resembling
benign tumor of fiber-like tissue; the most common type of tumor in women
fistula
abnormal passageway that develops between two structures; vesicovaginal fistula is between the urinary bladder and the vagina; rectovaginal fistula is between the rectum and the vagina
gestational diabetes
development of difficulty with carbohydrate metabolism and high blood sugar during a pregnancy; usually resolves after delivery
hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)
hemo/o = blood -lytic = destruction
condition developing in a fetus when the mother’s blood type is Rh-negative and the baby’s blood is Rh-positive; antibodies in the mother’s blood enter the fetus’ bloodstream through the placenta and destroy the fetus’ red blood cells; causes anemia, jaundice, and enlargement of the spleen; treated with intrauterine blood transfusion; also called erythroblastosis fetalis
hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
medication to replace hormones secreted by the ovaries; hormones may be missing due to menopause or loss of ovaries
in vitro fertilization (IVF)
infertility treatment; ova are removed from the woman and fertilized by sperm externally; resulting embryos are returned to the uterus for development; commonly called test tube baby
infertility
inability to produce children; generally defined as no pregnancy after properly time intercourse for one year