OB/GYN vocabulary

Question 1

abortion (AB)

Answer 1

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

Question 2

abruptio placentae

Answer 2

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

Question 3

atresia

a- = without

Answer 3

lack of a normal body opening (for example, hysteratresia is the closing of the cervix, usually from scarring)

Question 4

breast cancer

Answer 4

malignant tumor of the breast; usually forms in milk glands or the lining of milk ducts

Question 5

cervical cancer

cervic/o = cervix
-al = pertaining to

Answer 5

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

Question 6

cesarean section (CS, C-section)

Answer 6

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

Question 7

chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

chori/o = chorion
-nic = pertaining to

Answer 7

removal of a small piece of chorion for genetic analysis; can be done at an earlier stage of pregnancy than amniocentesis

Question 8

conization

Answer 8

surgical removal of a core of cervical tissue for biopsy

Question 9

cystocele

cyst/o = urinary bladder
-cele = protrusion

Answer 9

hernia or outpouching of the urinary bladder protrudes into the vagina; can cause urinary frequency and urgency and block the vagina

Question 10

dilation and curettage (D&C)

Answer 10

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

Question 11

eclampsia

-ia = condition

Answer 11

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

Question 12

ectopic pregnancy

-ic = pertaining to

Answer 12

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

Question 13

endometriosis

endo- = inner
metr/o = uterus
-osis = abnormal condition

Answer 13

condition when endometrial tissue appears throughout the pelvic or abdominal cavity; causes recurring pain and scarring

Question 14

endometrial cancer

endo- = inner
metr/o = uterus
-osis = abnormal condition

Answer 14

condition when endometrial tissue appears throughout the pelvic or abdominal cavity; causes recurring pain and scarring

Question 15

endometrial cancer

endo- = inner
metr/o = uterus
-al = pertaining to

Answer 15

cancerous tumor that forms in the lining of the uterus

Question 16

fetal monitoring

fet/o = fetus
-al = pertaining to

Answer 16

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

Question 17

fibrocystic breast

fibr/o = fibrous
cyst/o = sac
-ic = pertaining to

Answer 17

benign cysts in breast tissue; not precancerous

Question 18

fibroid tumor

fibr/o = fibrous
-oid = resembling

Answer 18

benign tumor of fiber-like tissue; the most common type of tumor in women

Question 19

fistula

Answer 19

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

Question 20

gestational diabetes

Answer 20

development of difficulty with carbohydrate metabolism and high blood sugar during a pregnancy; usually resolves after delivery

Question 21

hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)

hemo/o = blood
-lytic = destruction

Answer 21

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

Question 22

hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Answer 22

medication to replace hormones secreted by the ovaries; hormones may be missing due to menopause or loss of ovaries

Question 23

in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Answer 23

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

Question 24

infertility

Answer 24

inability to produce children; generally defined as no pregnancy after properly time intercourse for one year

Question 25

intrauterine device (IUD) ``` intra- = within uter/o = uterus -ine = pertaining to ```

Answer 25

device placed into the uterus through the cervix by a physician for the purpose of contraception

Question 26

lactation lact/o = milk

Answer 26

production of milk by the breast to provide nourishment for a newborn

Question 27

menarche ``` men/o = menstruation -arche = beginning ```

Answer 27

first menstrual period of puberty; in the US, the average age for menarche is 12 1/2 years

Question 28

menopause men/o = menstruation

Answer 28

period of time associated with the ending of menstrual activity and childbearing years

Question 29

oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) ``` or/o = mouth -al = pertaining to ```

Answer 29

form of birth control that use low does of female hormones to block ovulation; commonly called birth control pills

Question 30

ovarian cancer ``` ovari/o = ovary -an = pertaining to ```

Answer 30

cancerous tumor formed within an ovary

Question 31

Papanicolaou (Pap) smear

Answer 31

test for early detection of cervical cancer; name after test developer George Papanicolaou, a Greek physician; cells are removed from the cervix by simple scraping and examined under a microscope

Question 32

pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) ``` pelv/o = pelvis -ic = pertaining to ```

Answer 32

chronic or acute infection, usually bacterial, that ascends through the female reproductive tract and out into the pelvic cavity; can result in scarring that interferes with fertility

Question 33

placenta previa

Answer 33

placenta forms in the lower portion of the uterus and blocks the birth canal; can require a C-section for delivery

Question 34

preeclampsia ``` pre- = before -ia = condition ```

Answer 34

metabolic condition of pregnancy; symptoms include hypertension, headaches, protein in the urine, and edema; if untreated it may progress to eclampsia; also called toxemia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH)

Question 35

premature birth pre- = before

Answer 35

birth of a fetus before 37 weeks of gestation

Question 36

premenstrual syndrome (PMS) pre- = before

Answer 36

symptoms that develop just prior to the onset of a menstrual period; can include irritability, headache, tender breasts, and anxiety

Question 37

prolapsed uterus

Answer 37

fallen uterus that can cause the cervix to protrude through the vaginal opening

Question 38

puberty

Answer 38

period of time in which a child becomes an adult; development of adult body, production of eggs or sperm; person is now capable of reproduction

Question 39

rectocele ``` rect/o = rectum -cele = protrustion ```

Answer 39

occurs when the vaginal wall becomes thinner, allowing the rectum to press against it enough to create a bulge into the vagina; may be large enough to block the vagina

Question 40

stillbirth (SB)

Answer 40

birth in which a viable-aged fetus dies shortly before or at the time of birth

Question 41

toxic shock syndrome (TSS) ``` tox/o = poison -ic = pertaining to ```

Answer 41

rare and sometimes fatal bacterial infection that occurs mainly in menstruating women; initial infection occurs in the vagina and is associated with prolonged wearing of a super-absorbent tampon; toxins secreted by bacteria then enter the bloodstream

Question 42

tubal ligation

Answer 42

surgical typing off of uterine tubes to prevent pregnancy