Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acetate: A molecular ion derived from acetic acid. The formula of acetate is CH3COO-.

Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the ba...

Adrenal gland: A small gland located on top of the kidney. The adrenal glands produce horm...

Androgen: A male sex hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of the male s...

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

C-reactive protein: An acute-phase plasma protein whose blood concentration reflects the p...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Chin: Medically, the mentum. The lower portion of the face below the lower lip including t...

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

CRP: C-reactive protein.

Cysts: Cysts are abnormal, closed sac-like structures within a tissue that contain a liqui...

DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone.

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diuretic: Something that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney. All diuretics caus...

Endometrial cancer: Cancer of the womb (the uterus ). Endometrial cancer occurs most often...

Endometrial hyperplasia: A condition characterized by overgrowth of the lining of the uter...

Endometrium: The inner layer of the uterus.

Fertility: The ability to conceive and bear children, the ability to become pregnant throu...

Fetus: An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage (the end of the eighth week after concep...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Gland: A group of cells that secrete a substance for use in the body. For example, the thy...

Gonadotropin: Hormones that are secreted by the pituitary gland, and that affect the func...

Hair loss: Hair loss is the thinning of hair on the scalp. The medical term for hair loss ...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Hirsutism: Having excessive facial and bodily hair. Hirsutism can be a side effect of cert...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hyperplasia: An increase in the number of normal cells in a tissue or an organ. Hyperplasi...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Infertility: Diminished or absent ability to conceive and bear offspring. A couple is cons...

Insulin: A natural hormone made by the pancreas that controls the level of the sugar gluco...

Insulin resistance: The diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Laparoscopic: 1. Pertaining to the procedure of laparoscopy.
2. Pert...

Lipid: Another word for "fat." (Please see the various meanings of Fat.) A lipid is more f...

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstrual cycle: The monthly cycle of changes in the ovaries and the lining of the uteru...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Mutation: A permanent change, a structural alteration, in the DNA or RNA. In humans and m...

Nutrition: 1) The science or practice of taking in and utilizing foods. 2) A nourishing ...

Obese: Well above ones normal weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obe...

Obesity: The state of being well above one's normal weight.

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Oral contraceptive: A birth control pill taken by mouth. Most oral contraceptives include...

Ovarian: Of or pertaining to the ovary.

Ovary: The female gonad, one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. The ovaries are lo...

Overweight: The term "overweight" is used in two different ways. In one sense it is a way ...

Ovulation: The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the...

PCOS: Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome: Abbreviated PCOS. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition ...

Polycystic ovary syndrome: Abbreviated PCOS. Polcystic ovary syndrome is a condition in wo...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Progesterone: A female hormone, the principal hormone that prepares the uterus to receive ...

Progestin: Any one of a group of steroid hormones that have the effect of progesterone.

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Puberty: Adolescence, the period in which the human body first becomes capable of reproduc...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Resection: Surgical removal of part of an organ.

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages th...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Type 2 diabetes: See Diabetes, type 2.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Uterine bleeding: See: Menstruation. See also Menometrorrhagia; Menorrhagia; Metrorrhagia....

Uterine cancer: A malignant tumor of the uterus (womb), which occurs most often in women b...

Uterus: A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between th...

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...