Common Terms
Specialty > OBGYN
- ‘HPV’ : Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
- ‘Pap Smear’: A Pap smear (also called a Pap test) is a screening procedure for cervical cancer. It tests for the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix. It is named after the physician Georgios Papanikolaou; who determined it to be a useful way to detect signs of cervical cancer.
- ’Mammogram’: A mammogram is an X-ray image of the patient’s breast(s) used to screen for breast cancer. Mammograms play a key role in early breast cancer detection and help decrease breast cancer mortality.
- ’DXA’: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (previously DEXA) is the means to measure bone mineral density (BMD). Two X-ray beams, with different energy levels, are aimed at the patient’s bones. When soft tissue absorption is subtracted out, the BMD can be determined from the amount of beam absorption by each bone.
- ‘Colonoscopy’: Colonoscopy is a test that allows physicians to look at the inner lining of patient’s large intestine (rectum and colon). A thin, flexible tube called a colonoscope is used to look at the colon. A colonoscopy helps find ulcers, colon polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding.
- ‘LEEP’ : LEEP is an abbreviation for loop electrosurgical excision procedure. It is a way to test and treat abnormal cell growth on the surface tissue of the cervix. LEEP may be recommended after abnormal changes in the cervix are confirmed by Pap tests and colposcopy biopsies.
- ‘Dysmenorrhea’ : Painful menstruation, typically involving abdominal cramps.
- ‘Fibroids’ : Fibroids are abnormal growths that develop in or on a woman’s uterus.
- ‘Ovarian Cysts’ : An ovarian cyst is any fluid-filled sac within the ovary. Often they cause no symptoms. Occasionally they may produce bloating, lower abdominal pain, or lower back pain.
- ‘Uterine Anomaly’ : A uterine malformation is a type of female genital malformation resulting from an abnormal development of the Müllerian duct(s) during embryogenesis.
- ‘Genital Herpes’: Herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can be transferred to any sexually active person.
- ‘Ab. Spontaneous’ : A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy. (Pregnancy losses after the 20th week are called stillbirths.) A miscarriage may also be called a ‘spontaneous abortion’. This refers to naturally occurring events, not to medical abortions or surgical abortions.
- ‘Ab. Induced’ : Termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable.
- ‘Ectopic’ : An ectopic rhythm is an irregular heart rhythm due to a premature heartbeat.
- ‘HRT’ : Hormone replacement therapy
- ‘HCG’ : Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone produced by the embryo following implantation. The presence of HCG is detected in pregnancy tests. Some cancerous tumors produce this hormone; therefore, elevated levels measured when the patient is not pregnant can lead to a cancer diagnosis.
- ‘Menarche’ : Menarche is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female humans.
- ‘Primigravida’ : A woman who is pregnant for the first time.
- ‘BCP’ : Birth Control Pills
NOTE:
Müllerian are paired ducts of the embryo that run down the lateral sides of the urogenital ridge and terminate at the sinus tubercle in the primitive urogenital sinus. In the female, they will develop to form the uterine tubes, uterus, cervix, and the upper one-third of the vagina.
