Female Reproductive System
Gynecological Symptomatic Terms
Your patient complains of painful intercourse(dyspareunia), abnormal white vaginal discharge(leukorrhea), and excessive bleeding from the uterus other than during her normal menstrual cycle(metro(uterus)rrhagia).
NB gr. Pareunos, lying beside
What is the difference between polymenorrhea(increased frequency of menstrual cycles), menostaxis(prolonged menstruation), menorrhagia(excessive bleeding at the time of menstrual period)
What is the difference between retroflexion(flexion-bend retro-back) and retroversion(turned backwards) of the uterus?
Flexion l. flexio-Bent version – L. Versio-Turn
The pouching of the uterus intot he vagina pushing the vaginal wall downward is called a:
Metro(uterus)colpo(vagina)cele(downward displacement)
Bladder with cystocele/ rectocele(rectum displacement)/ enterocele(small intestines displacement) /urethrocele(urethra displacement)/ prolapse
A benign tumor in the uterus composed of fibrous connective tissue and smooth muscle is called:
Uterine Fibromyoma/ uterine fibroid/ uterine leio(smooth)myoma
An ovarian tumor:
Oo(egg)phor(to bear or convey)oma (tumor)
Oo(egg)gon(seed)ium(tissue), oo(egg)cyte(cell), ovum(egg), gamete(ready to marry), zygote(to joined together and married)
What is the difference between an embryo(right after fertilization 4 days-8 weeks) and a fetus(8 weeks-birth)?
Galen and the Formation of the Fetus
On the formation of the fetus and on semen
Four periods
6 days-‘Semen’(gone)
Form of flesh-‘that which is conceived’(kuema)
Liver, heart, and brain formed-‘that which is growing inside’ (embruon)
All parts and limbs differentiated, movements of limbs-‘child’(paidion)
Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) and the formation of the fetus
Onto(being)gen(creation)y(process of)
Recapitulates (starts from the beginning)
Phylo(try/group/species)gen(creation)y(process of)
Gynecological Diagnostic Terms
What is another term for birth defect?
Congenital Anomaly(uneven)
Teras – a wonder/monsterous/marvelous someone who has gross changes/anomalies.
Terat/o= Combining form meaning monster/wonder
Teratoma = dermoid cyst-appears like skin
Can have teeth, hair and an appendage not alive but is just tissue and looks like a monster
Obstetric symptomatic terms
Difficult labor, often produced by either the size of the fetus or the small size of the pelvic outlet.
Dys(painful/difficult)toc(to give birth/labor)ia
Cesarean Section
Julius Caesar was not born via cesarean section
Lex Caesarea(things for cutting) If a woman is dying or just died you cut the baby open and take it out, it’s the law.
Pliny (cesaer – may have gotten his name to cut, or from a relative)
Breech Delivery
Wrote about different breech positions. Would try to manually move the child around to get it into the right position. Greek mythology, it’s a bad omen.
Obstetric Terms
What is the difference between gravida, para, and abortus?
Gravida-L. gravidus-Heavy; hence pregnant
The total number of times a woman has been pregnant regarless of whether these pregnancies were carried to term
Nulligravida – no pregnancies
Primigravida-first pregnancy
Para-Parere-L. To bring forth, give birth
A woman who has produced a viable infant ( weighing at least 500 g or move than 20 weeks gestation) regardless of whether the infant is alive at birth. A multiple birth is considered to be a single parous experience
Nullipara-no births
Primipara-first birth
Multipara- many births
Ovo(egg)vivi(alive)parous?-have an egg child lives inside but when the egg cracks all the babies come out
Human-biviperous
Chicken- oviperous – gives birth to eggs
Abortus- L. miscarriage
Abortus is expulsion of the product of conception before the child is viable ie before 20 weeks gestation or weighing less than 17.6 ounces(500mg)
G3P2A1
G5(5 pregnancies)P3(3 carried to term)11(1 abortus)3(3 living)
Abortion and female contraception in greek medicine
Soranus, On Gynecology, ‘Whether one ought to make use of abortive and contraceptivs and how?’
Expulsive (ekbolion)-egg falls out by jumping up and down
Abortive(phthorion)-destructive pesewa. Run after, doing hard massages on the belly. Camp would not allow abortions. Other camp won’t give them unless the women is in danger.
Contraception(atokion)- not bearing/going into labor. Man ejacualtes into women she is supposed to have squat and then sneeze. Put some drying thing around the vagina to dry out the semen.
Obstetric Terms
Meconium(shit) happens
Meconium-first excrement of a newborn child
