Medical Terminology: Obstetrics and Gynecology: Female Reproductive System

amni/o

Amnion

cervic/o

neck, cervix

chori/o

chorion

colp/o

vagina

Embry/o

Embryo

episi/o

Vulva

fet/o

Fetus

gynec/o

female

hyster/o

uterus

lact/o

milk

lapar/o

abdomen

mamm/o

breast

mast/o

breast

men/o

menses, menstruation

metr/o

uterus

nat/o

birth

o/o

ovum

oophor/o

ovary

ovari/o

ovary

salping/o

uterine (fallopian) tube

uter/o

uterus

vagin/o

vagina

carcin/o

cancer

cyst/o

urinary bladder, sac

fibr/o

fibrous

or/o

mouth

pelv/o

pelvis

rect/o

rectum

tox/o

poison

-cyesis

pregnancy

-gravida

pregnancy

-partum

childbirth

-rrhagia

abnormal flow condition

-rrhexis

rupture

nulli-

none

pseudo-

false

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 the embryo; elective abortion is the legal termination of a pregnancy; therapeutic abortion is necessary for the mother’s health

abruptio placentae

Emergency condition ocurring when the placenta tears away from the uterine wall prior to birth of the fetus; it requires immediate delivery of the baby

atresia

Lack of normal body opening; for example, hysteratresia is closing of the cervix, usually from scarring

Breast cancer

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

Cervical cancer

Malignant tumor of the cervix; some cases 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 delivery of a baby through an incision into the abdominal and uterine walls; named for the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar, who is said to have been the first person born by this method

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

Removal of a small piece of the chorion for genetic analysis; may be done at earlier stage of pregnancy than an amniocentesis

Conization

Surgical removal of a core of cervical tissue for biopsy

Cystocele

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 widening the cervix and scraping or suctioning out the endometrial lining of the uterus; often performed after a spontaneous abortion or to stop excessive bleeding from other causes

Eclampsia

Worsening of preeclampsia symptoms with development of seizures and possibly coma; may occur between 20th week of pregnancy and up to six weeks postpartum

Ectopic pregnancy

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

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

Endometrial cancer

Cancerous tumor that forms in the lining of the uterus

Fetal monitoring

Use of electronic equipment placed on the mother’s abdomen or the fetus’ scalp to check fetal heart rate (FHR) and fetal heart tone (FHT) during labor; normal FHR ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute; a drop in fetal heart rate indicates fetal distress

Fibrocystic breast

Benign cysts in the breast tissue; not precancerous

Fibroid tumor

Benign tumor of fiberlike tissue; the most common type of tumor in women

Fistula

Abnormal passageway 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)

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 removed from a woman are fertilized by sperm externally; resulting embryos are returned to the uterus for development; commonly called a test tube baby

Infertility

Inability to produce children; generally defined as no pregnancy after properly timed intercourse for one year

Intrauterine device (IUD)

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

Lactation

Production of milk by breast to provide nourishment for newborn

Menarche

First menstrual period of puberty; in the US, the average age for menarche is 12-½ years

Menopause

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

Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs)

Form of birth control that uses low doses of female hormones to block ovulation; commonly called birth control pills

Ovarian cancer

Cancerous tumor formed within ovary

Papanicolaou (Pap) smear

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

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

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

Placenta previa

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

Preeclampsia

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

Premature birth

Birth of a fetus before 37 weeks of gestation

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Symptoms that develop just prior to the onset of the menstrual period; may include irritability, headache, tender breasts, and anxiety

Prolapsed uterus

Fallen uterus that can cuase the cervix to protrude through the vaginal opening

Puberty

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

Rectocele

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

Stillbirth (SB)

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

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS)

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

Tubal ligation

Surgical tying off of the uterine tubes to prevent pregnancy