Glossary
from
the book How to Have a Baby: Overcoming Infertility
by Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, MD
and Dr. Anjali Malpani, MD.
table
of contents ·
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Abortion:
the medical term for miscarriage. The various types include:
- Complete
abortion: A miscarriage in which all of the products of conception
have been expelled and the cervix is closed.
- Habitual
abortion: A miscarriage occurring on two or more separate occasions.
- Incomplete
abortion: A miscarriage in which only a portion of the products
of conception have been expelled. This usually requires dilatation and
curettage.
- Induced
abortion: An intentional termination of pregnancy.
- Inevitable
abortion: A miscarriage that cannot be halted.
- Missed
abortion: A miscarriage in which a dead fetus and other products
of conception remain in the uterus for four or more weeks.
- Selective
abortion: A term often used to refer to intentional termination
of one or more gestational sacs within the uterus, usually in the case
of a multiple pregnancy (triplets or more).
- Spontaneous
abortion: A miscarriage or the unintended termination of a pregnancy
before the twentieth week.
- Therapeutic
abortion: An intentional termination of pregnancy for the purpose
of preserving the life of the mother.
- Threatened
abortion: symptoms such as vaginal bleedings, with or without
pain, which may end with a miscarriage or with continuation of a normal
pregnancy.
Adhesion:
An abnormal attachment of adjacent tissues by bands, scars or masses of
fibrous tissue.
Adrenal
Glands: Two glands near the kidneys that produce hormones, including
some male sex hormones - the adrenal androgens.
Agglutination
of Sperm: Sticking together of sperm.
Amenorrhea:
The absence of menstruation.
Ampulla:
Theouter half of the fallopian tube, where fertilisation occurs. It opens
into the abdominal cavity through the tubal ostium, which is lined by
the fimbria.
Androgens:
Male sex hormones. Testosterone is one example.
Andrology:
The science of diseases peculiar to the male sex, particularly infertility,
and sexual dysfunction.
Anomaly:
A malformation or abnormality in any part of the body.
Anovulation:
Total absence of ovulation. Note: This is not necessarily the same as
"amenorrhea." Menses may still occur with anovulation.
Anovulatory
Bleeding: The type of menstruation often associated with failure to
ovulate. May be scanty and of short duration ; or abnormally heavy and
irregular .
Antibody:
A protective protein produced in the body that fights or otherwise interacts
with a foreign substance in the body.
Artificial
Insemination by Donor (AID): The injection of donor semen into a woman's
reproductive tract for the purpose of conception.
Artificial
Insemination by Husband (AIH): The injection of husband's semen into
the wife's reproductive tract for the purpose of conception.
Aspermia:
The absence of semen . This is not the same as azoospermia.
Asthenospermia:
A condition in which the sperm do not move (swim) at all or move more
slowly than normal.
Azoospermia:
The absence of sperm in the ejaculate.
Basal
Body Temperature (BBT): The temperature of the woman, taken either
orally or rectally, upon waking in the morning before any activity. Used
to help determine ovulation.
Bicornuate
Uterus: A congential malformation of the uterus in which it appears
to have two "horns " (cornu).
Capacitation:
The process by which sperm are altered ( usually during their passage
through the female reproductive tract ) that gives them the capacity to
penetrate and fertilize the ovum.
Cervix:
The lower section of the uterus which protrudes into the vagina
Child-Free
Living: A resolution to infertility in which the couple opts for a
life-style without parenting, either temporarily or permanently.
Chlamydia:
A sexually transmitted disease that may cause impaired fertility .
Chromosomes:
Rod-shaped bodies in a cell's nucleus which carry the genes that convey
hereditary characteristics. Made up of DNA.
Cilia:
Microscopic hair-like projections from the surface of a cell capable of
beating in a coordinated fashion.
Clitoris:
The small erectile sex organ of the female, located in front of the vagina
and similar to the penis of the male.
Clomiphene
Citrate: A synthetic drug used to stimulate the hypothalamus and pituitary
gland to increase FSH and LH production. It is usually used to treat ovulatory
failure due to hypothalamic pituitary dysfunction.
Coitus:
Sexual intercourse.
Conception:
The fertilization of a woman's egg by a man's sperm resulting in a new
life.
Congenital:
A characteristic or defect present at birth. It is acquired during pregnancy
but is not necessarily hereditary.
Corpus
Luteum: The special gland that forms in the ovary at the site of the
released egg. This gland produces the hormone progesterone during the
second half of the normal menstrual cycle.
Cryobank:
A place where tissues (i.e., sperm, oocytes, embryos) are stored in the
frozen state.
Cryopreservation
(Freezing): A procedure used to preserve (by freezing) and store
embryos or gametes (sperm, oocytes).
Cryptorchidism:
Undescended testicles.
Dilatation
and Curettage (D & C): Dilatation of the cervix to allow scraping
of the uterine lining with an instrument (curette). This is also a means
to induce abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Dysgenesis:
Faulty formation of any organ.
Dysmenorrhea:
Painful menstruation.
Dyspareunia:
Painful intercourse for either the woman or the man.
Ectopic
Pregnancy: A pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants anywhere
but in the uterine cavity (usually in the fallopian tube, the ovary or
the abdominal cavity).
Egg (Oocyte)
Donation: Surgical removal of an egg from one woman for transfer into
the fallopian tube or uterus of another woman.
Ejaculation:
The male orgasm during which approximately two to five milliters of semen
(seminal fluid and sperm) are ejected from the penis.
Embryo:
The term used to describe the early stages of fetal growth, from conception
to the eighth week of pregnancy.
Embryo
Transfer: The introduction of an embryo into a woman's uterus after
in vitro (or in vivo) fertilization.
Endocrine
System: The system of glands including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals,
testicles or ovaries.
Endocrinologist:
A doctor who specializes in diseases of the endocrine glands.
Endometrial
Biopsy: The extraction of a small sample of tissue from the uterus
for examination. Usually done to show evidence of ovulation .
Endometriosis:
The presence of endometrial tissue (the normal uterine lining) in abnormal
locations such as the tubes, ovaries and peritoneal cavity, often causing
painful menstruation and infertility.
Endometrium:
The mucous membrane lining the uterus.
Endosalpinx:
The tissue lining in the fallopian tube.
Epididymis:
An elongated organ in the male lying above and behind the testicles. It
contains a highly convoluted canal, four to six meters in length, where,
after production, sperm are stored, nourished and ripened for a period
of several months.
Erection:
The enlarged, rigid state of the penis when sexually aroused.
Estradiol
(E2): A hormone released by developing follicles in the ovary. Plasma
estradiol levels are used to help determine progressive growth of the
follicle during ovulation induction.
Estrogen:
Aclass of female hormones, produced mainly by the ovaries from the onset
of puberty until menopause which are also responsible for the development
of secondary sexual characteristics in women
Fallopian
Tubes: A pair of narrow tubes that carry the ovum (egg) from the ovary
to the body of the uterus.
Fertilization:
The penetration of the egg by the sperm and fusion of genetic materials
to result in the development of an embryo.
Fetal
Death: The term often used to include both miscarriage and still-birth.
Fetus:
The developing baby from the ninth week of pregnancy until the moment
of the birth.
Fibroid
Tumor (Leiomyoma): A benign tumor of fibrous tissue that may occur
in the uterine wall. May be totally without symptoms or may cause abnormal
menstrual patterns or infertility.
Fimbriae:
The fringed and flaring outer ends of the fallopian tubes which capture
the egg after it released from the ovary.
Follicle:
The structure in the ovary that has nurtured the ripening egg and from
which the egg is released.
Follicle
Stimulating Hormone (FSH): A hormone produced in the anterior pituitary
that stimulates the ovary to ripen a follicle for ovulation.
Follicular
Phase: The first half of the menstrual cycle when follicle development
takes place in the ovary.
Frigidity:
The inability to become sexually aroused. Not a known cause of infertility.
Gamete:
The male or female reproductive cells- the sperm or the ovum (egg).
Gamete
Intra-Fallopian Transfer (GIFT): Procedure in which the sperms and
eggs are transferred by laparoscopy into the fallopian tubes where fertilization
may then take place.
Genes:
Substances that convey hereditary characteristics, consisting primarily
of DNA and proteins and occurring at specific points on the chromosomes.
Genetic:
Pertaining to hereditary characteristics.
Genetic
Abnormality: A disorder arising from an anomaly in the chromosomal
structure which may or may not be hereditary.
Genetic
Counseling: Advice and information provided, usually by a team of
experts, on the detection and risk of recurrence of genetic disorders.
Gestation:
The period of fetal development in the uterus from conception to birth,
usually considered to be 40 weeks in humans.
Gland:
Hormone-producing organ.
GnRH (Gonadotropin
Releasing Hormone; LHRH): A hormone released from the hypothalamus
that controls the synthesis and release of pituitary hormones FSH and
LH.
Gonadotropin:
A hormone capable of stimulating the gonads to produce hormones and /
or gametes .
Gonads:
The glands that make the gametes (the testicles in the male and the ovaries
in the female).
Gynecologist:
A doctor who specializes in the diseases of the female reproductive system.
Hamster
Test (Sperm Penetration Assay), used to determine the ability
of a man's sperm to penetrate a hamster egg. Thought to provide evidence
of the sperm's fertilising ability.
Hemorrhage:
Excessive bleeding.
Hereditary:
Transmitted from one's ancestors by way of the genes within the chromosomes
of the fertilizing sperm and egg.
Hirsutism:
The presence of excessive body and facial hair, especially in women.
Hormone:
A chemical, produced by an endocrine gland, which circulates in the blood
and has widespread action throughout the body.
Human
Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG): A hormone secreted by the placenta during
pregnancy that prolongs the life of the corpus luteum.
Human
Menopausal Gonadotropin (HMG): A natural product containing both human
FSH and LH. These hormones are extracted from the urine of postmenopausal
women.
Hydrocele:
A swelling in the scrotum containing fluid.
Hydrosalpinx:
A large fluid-filled, club-shaped fallopian tube closed at the fimbriated
end . It is a cause of infertility.
Hydrotubation:
Lavage or "flushing" of the fallopian tubes with a sterile solution which
sometimes contains medication such as antibiotics, enzymes, or steroids.
Hypogonadism:
Inadequate gonadal function as manifested by deficiencies in sperm production
in males or egg production in females and/or the secretion of gonadal
hormones (estrogens and androgens, respectively).
Hypospadias:
A malformation of the penis in which the urethral opening is found on
the underside rather than at the tip of the penis.
Hypothalamus:
A part of the base of the brain that controls the release of hormones
from the pituitary.
Hysterosalpingogram:
An X-ray study in which a contrast dye is injected into the uterus to
show the delineation of the body of the uterus and the patency of the
fallopian tubes. Also called a tubogram or uterotubogram.
Idiopathic
( Unknown or Unexplained): The term used when no reason can be found
to explain the cause of a medical condition.
Immunological
Response: The production of antibodies in the woman or man .
Implantation:
The embedding of the fertilized egg in the endometrium of the uterus.
Impotence:
The inability of the male to achieve or maintain an erection for intercourse
due to physical or emotional problems
Incompetent
Cervix: A weakened cervix that is incapable of holding the fetus
within the uterus for the full nine months. Can be a cause of late miscarriage
.
Infertility:
The inability of a couple to achieve a pregnancy after one year of regular
unprotected sexual intercourse , or the inability of the woman to carry
a pregnancy to live birth.
Interstitial
Cells: The cells between the seminiferous tubules of the testicles
that produce the male hormone testosterone. Also called Leydig cells.
In Vitro
(literally, in glass) Fertilization (IVF): A procedure in which a
egg is removed from a ripe follicle and fertilized by a sperm cell outside
the human body. Also called "test tube baby" and "test tube fertilization."
In Vivo
Fertilization: The fertilization of an egg by a sperm within the woman's
body.
Kallman's
Syndrome: Hypogonadism with anosmia (loss of the sense of smell).
Uncommon cause of male infertility.
Karyotype:
A study of the chromosomes of the tissue. Used for genetic studies.
Klinefelter's
Syndrome: A congenital abnormality of the male wherein he receives
an XXY chromosomal complement instead of XY. These men are infertile.
Labia:
Folds of skin on either side of the entrance of the vagina.
Laparoscopy:
The direct visualization of the ovaries and the exterior of the fallopian
tubes and uterus by means of inserting a surgical telescope through a
small incision below the naval.
Laparotomy:
Abdominal surgery.
Leydig
Cells: See interstitial cells.
LHRH:
Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (see GnRH).
Libido:
Sexual desire.
Luteal
Phase: The days of the menstrual cycle following ovulation and ending
with menses during which progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum
Luteal
Phase Defect: A shortened luteal phase or one with inadequate progesterone
production.
Luteinized
Unruptured Follicle Syndrome (LUF): A condition in which the egg is
not released during ovulation; the follicle does not rupture and the egg
is trapped.
Luteinizing
Hormone (LH): A hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. Secretion
of LH increases in the middle of the cycle to induce release of the egg.
Menarche:
The onset of menstruation in girls.
Menopause:
The cessation of menstruation due to aging or failure of the ovaries.
Most commonly occurs between the ages of 40 and 50.
Menotropins
(Human Menopausal Gonadotropin or HMG): Injections which containing
FSH and LH. They are produced by extraction from the urine of menopausal
women.
Menstruation:
The shedding of the uterine lining by cyclic bleeding that normally occurs
about once a month in the mature female.
Miscarriage:
A spontaneous abortion of a fetus up to the age of viability.
Mittelschmerz:
German for "middle pain," referring to the pain during ovulation that
some women experience.
Morphology
of sperm: The study of the shape of sperm cells. This evaluation is
part of a semen analysis.
Motility
of Sperm: The ability of the sperm to move about.
Mumps
Orchitis: Inflammation of the testicle caused by mumps virus. Can
lead to sterility if infection with the virus occurs after puberty.
Myomectomy:
Surgical removal of a fibroid tumor (myoma) in the uterine muscular wall.
Necrospermia:
A condition in which sperm are produced and found in the semen but they
are dead. These sperm cannot fertilize eggs.
Nidation:
The implantation of the fertilized egg in the endometrium of the uterus.
Obstetrician:
A doctor who specializes in pregnancy and childbirth.
Oligo-Ovulation:
Infrequent ovulation, usually less than six ovulatory cycles per year.
Oligospermia:
An abnormally low number of sperm in the ejaculate of the male.
Oocyte:
The egg.
Oocyte
Retrieval: A surgical procedure to collect the eggs contained within
the ovarian follicles.
Orchitis:
An inflammation of the testes.
Ovarian
Failure: The inability of the ovary to respond to any gonadotropic
hormone stimulation, usually due to the absence of oocytes.
Ovaries:
The sexual gland of the female which produces the hormones estrogen and
progesterone, and in which the ova are developed.
Oviduct:
Fallopian tube.
Ovulation:
The discharge of a mature egg, usually at about the midpoint of the menstrual
cycle.
Ovulation
Induction: The use of hormone therapy (clomiphene citrate, HMG,HCG)
to stimulate development and release.
Ovum:
The egg (reproductive) cell produced in the ovaries each month. (The plural
of ovum is ova.)
Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease (PID): Inflammatory disease of the pelvis, often
caused by infection.
Penis:
The male organ of intercourse.
Pituitary:
A gland located at the base of the human brain that secretes a number
of important hormones related to normal growth and development and fertility.
Polycystic
Ovarian Syndrome (PCO): Development of multiple cysts in the ovaries
due to arrested follicular growth resulting in an imbalance in the amount
of LH and FSH released .
Polyp:
A nodule or small growth found frequently on mucous membranes, such as
in the cervix or the uterus.
Postcoital
Test (Huhner Test ): A diagnostic test for infertility in which vaginal
and cervical secretions are obtained following intercourse and then analyzed
under a microscope.
Progesterone:
A hormone secreted by the corpus luteum of the ovary after ovulation has
occurred. Also produced by the placenta during pregnancy.
Prostate:
A gland in the male that surrounds the first portion of the urethra near
the bladder. It secretes an alkaline liquid that neutralizes acid in the
urethra and stimulates motility of the sperm.
Pyospermia:
A condition in which the presence of white cells in the semen indicates
possible infection.
Retrograde
Ejaculation: Discharge of semen backward into the bladder rather than
forward through the penis.
Retroverted
Uterus: uterus that is bent backward.
Rubin
Test: Obsolete test in which a gas such as carbon dioxide is blown
into the uterus under pressure to test if the fallopian tubes are open.
Salpingitis:
Inflammation of the fallopian tubes.
Salpingolysis:
Surgery to clear the fallopian tubes of adhesions.
Salpingoplasty:
Surgery to correct blocked fallopian tubes.
Scrotum:
The bag of skin and thin muscle that holds the testicles.
Secondary
Infertility: The inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy after
having successfully conceived and carried one or more pregnancies.
Semen:
The sperm and seminal secretions ejaculated during orgasm.
Semen
Analysis: The study of a fresh ejaculate under the microscope.
Seminal
Vesicle: A pair of pouch-like glands above the prostate in the male
that produce a thick, alkaline secretion that is passed in the semen during
ejaculation.
Seminiferous
Tubules: The long tubes in the testicles in which sperm are formed.
Septum:
An abnormality in organ structure present since birth in which a wall
is present where one should not exist.
Sperm
(Spermatozoa): The male reproductive cell, that has measurable characteristics
such as:
Motility:
Refers to percent of sperm demonstrating any type of movement.
Count
(or Density): Refers to the number of sperm present.
Morphology:
Refers to form or shape of the sperm.
Viability:
Refers to whether or not the sperm are alive.
Sperm
Bank: Place in which sperm ( from donor or from husband) is stored
frozen for future use in artificial insemination.
Sperm
Washing: A technique that separates the sperm from the seminal fluid.
Spermatogenesis:
The production of sperm within the seminiferous tubules.
Spinnbarkheit:
The stretchability of cervical mucus.
Split
Ejaculate: A method of collecting a semen specimen so that the first
half of the ejaculate is caught in one container and the rest in a second
container. The first half usually contains the majority of the sperm.
Surrogate
mother: A woman who gestates an embryo and then turns over the child
to the infertile couple, who may be its genetic parents.
Testicles:
The male sexual glands of which there are two. Contained in the scrotum,
they produce the male hormone testosterone and produce the male reproductive
cells, the sperm.
Testicular
Biopsy: Surgical excision of testicular tissue to determine the ability
of the testes to produce normal sperm
Testicular
Failure: Occurs when the testes fail to produce sperm.
Testosterone:
The most potent male sex hormone, produced in the testicles.
Test-Tube
Baby: A child born through in vitro fertilization.
Thyroid
Gland: A gland located at the front base of the neck which secretes
the hormone thyroid which is necessary for normal fertility.
Tuboplasty:
Surgical repair of fallopian tubes.
Turner's
Syndrome (Ovarian Dysgenesis): A congenital abnormality of the female
wherein she receives an XO instead of an XX genetic sex complement. Women
with this condition are sterile.
Ultrasound
( Sonography): A imaging technique for visualizing the growth of ovarian
follilces during infertility therapy .
Unexplained
Fertility: See idiopathic infertility.
Urethra:
The tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside. In men it
also carries semen from the prostate to the point of ejaculation during
intercourse.
Urologist:
A doctor who specializes in diseases of the urinary tract in men and women,
and the genital organs in men.
Uterotubogram:
See hysterosalpingogram.
Uterus:
The hollow, muscular organ in the woman that holds and nourishes the fetus
until the time of birth.
Vagina:
The birth canal opening in the woman extending from the vulva to the cervix
of the uterus.
Vaginismus:
A spasm of the muscles around the opening of the vagina, making penetration
during sexual intercourse either impossible or very painful.
Varicocele:
A varicose vein of the testicles, sometimes a cause of male infertility.
Vas Deferens:
A pair of thick-walled tubes about 45cm long in the male that lead from
the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct in the prostate.
Vasectomy:
Surgery to excise part vas deferens to sterilize a man.
Vasogram:
X-ray of the sperm ducts.
Venereal
Disease (VD): Any infection pertaining to or transmitted by sexual
intercourse. Also known as STD or sexually transmitted disease - most
commonly gonorrhea , syphilis and chlamydia.
Viscosity:
Thickness of the semen.
Vulva:
The external genitalia of the female.
Zygote:
An embryo in early development stage.
Zygote
Intra-Fallopian Transfer (ZIFT): Transfer of a zygote into a fallopian
tube (usually done by laparoscopy).
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