Medical Glossary: C

Candida

Candida, sometimes called candida albicans, is a common microscopic fungal organism normally present in the mucus membranes of the mouth, intestines and vagina. Under certain circumstances it may become superficially infected, and rarely seriously infected. Also known as Thrush.

Capillaries

Tiny blood vessels approximately 0.008mm in diameter that allows the blood to exchange substances with the body tissue cells. The walls of the capillaries consist of a single layer of endothelial cells.

Candidiasis

Called either monilia vulvovaginitis or more commonly a yeast infection, it is any infection caused by the bacteria Candida, usually Candida Albicans. Common manifestations are diaper rash, intertrigo, vaginitis and thrush. Oral and topical medication can be used for treatment.

Caput

Short for caput succedaneum, it is a small temporary swelling on the head of the fetus, formed during labor as a result of circular pressure from the cervix.

On vaginal examination, the caput may be mistaken for unruptured membranes, and at birth the baby's head may appear to be deformed, although the swelling will begin to resolve immediately and should be gone within a few days.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A common and painful disorder of the wrist and arm caused by pressure placed on the nerve by the inelastic structures of the carpal tunnel. The syndrome is most often seen in menopausal women and in pregnancy is caused by the body's accumulation of fluids.

Catheter

A small plastic tube inserted into the body through a natural orifice to draw off fluid from the bladder or, when inserted into a vein to introduce fluid into the body. When used in an epidural it serves to introduce anesthetic.

Caudal

A regional anesthetic introduced into the base of the spine used during labor and for cesarean sections.

Cephalohematoma

A swelling caused by subcutaneous bleeding. It may begin to form in the scalp of a fetus during labor and enlarge for the first few days after birth.

Cephalic Presentation

The position of the baby in the uterus before birth, when the head is down in the cervix. It is the most common type of birthing presentation.

Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD)

A condition in which the size of the baby's head is markedly larger than the size of the maternal birth canal. In some instances it is possible for the baby to be born vaginally although the most usual and safest course of action is delivery by cesarean section.

Certified Nurse Midwife

A graduate of an approved nurse midwife program who has passed state examinations and is licensed to work in the state.

Cervical Dilation

The gradual opening of the cervix through progressive dilation caused by uterine contractions during labor.

Cervical Erosion

A superficial inflamation of the cervix during pregnancy.

Cervical Incompetence

A condition in which the cervix opens too early in the pregnancy which may result in mid-pregnancy miscarriage. The cause is usually previous mid-pregnancy termination or damage to the cervix during previous labor. It can be treated by suturing the cervix closed during pregnancy.

Cervix

The part of the uterus that protrudes into the vaginal cavity. It is separated from the bladder by the parametrium. The vaginal end of the cervix contains the cervical canal.

Cesarean Section

Delivery of the baby through abdominal surgery and a cut into the uterine walls. It is performed when abnormal maternal or fetal conditions exists and would make vaginal delivery hazardous. See the Guide to Labor and Delivery for more information.

Chadwick's Sign

The bluish tinge adopted by the vulva and vagina after about the sixth week of pregnancy. It is the normal result of local venous congestion and is an early visible sign of pregnancy.

Chemotherapy

A form of treatment of disease using chemical reagents that have a specific toxic effect on a pathogen or that are used to treat neoplasms.

Cancer chemotherapy is often used alone to treat malignacies such as leukemia or lymphatic disorders that have no localized focus. Adjuvant chemotherapy is used after surgery or irradiation of solid tumors to destroy any remaining cancer cells and prevent any local reccurance.

Chlamydia

A microorganism that lives as an intracellular parasite. It has a number of properties in common with gramnegative bacteria.

Of the two types, Chlamydia trachomatis is a organism that lives in the conjunctiva of the eye and the epithelium of the urethra and cervix. It is responsible for inclusion conjunctivitis, lymphogranuloma venereum and trachoma.

Chloasma

The discoloration or pigmentation of the forehead, cheeks and nose associated with pregnancy or the use of oral contraceptives. The pigmentation may be permanent or disappear after pregnancy or use of oral contraceptives. It is also called the mask of pregnancy or melasma.

Chloral Drugs

A group of sedative tranquilizing drugs that are non-barbiturate based. They include chloral hydrate, chlorambucil, chloramphenicol palmitate, chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride and chlorhexidine gluconate.

Chlorpromazine

Marketed as Thorazine, it is a powerful sedative used in conjunction with hypnotics, analgesics and anesthetics.

Chorion

The outermost extraembryonic membrane composed of the trophoblast. It develops into the placenta and remains as the outer of the two layers containing the amniotic fluid and the fetus.

Chorionic Villi

The tiny vessels surrounding the fertile ovum that permit it to become embedded in the uterine wall.

Chorionic Villus Sampling

A test in which the tissue surrounding the outer membrane of the embryo is analysed for genetic handicap. Also known as CVS.

Chromosomes

One of the structures within the nucleus of a cell that transmits genetic information. Each of the chromosomes contains a double strand of the helical nucleoprotein deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Chromosomes occur in 23 pairs in every human cell.

Circumcision

A surgical operation to remove the foreskin from the penis of the newborn baby.

Cleft Palate

A congenital birth defect in which the two sides of the palate fail to fuse during embryonic development. Surgical repair is best performed during the first or second year of life and is performed in stages.

Clitoris

A small and sensitive organ at the upper end of the female genitalia between the folded external labia.

Club Foot

A congenital deformity of the foot, usually formed from constriction in the uterus. It can frequently be corrected in infancy by using splints, and in severe cases may require surgery in stages.

CMV

Abbreviation of cytomagalovirus infection, a group of viruses from the herpes family. CMV infections are characterized by malaise, fever, lymphadenopathy, pneumonia, hepatosplenomegaly and superinfection with various bacteria and fungi. It is the result of the depressed response of the immune system, characteristic of herpesviruses.

Codeine

An addictive analgesic drug with attitussive (cough reducing) agents.

Colostrum

A protein rich form of milk, containing immunologically active substances, white blood cells, water, fat and carbohydrates, secreted by the breasts late in pregnancy until a few days after delivery, after which the body produces mature milk.

Conception

Conception is the fertilization of the ovum by the sperm, and it's implantation in the wall of the uterus. See BabyPartner Diary > Week 2 for more detail.

Condylomatum Acuminatum

A soft wartlike viral growth which is common on the warm, moist skin of the genitalia. It is transmitted by sexual contact. Also called venereal wart.

Congenital Abnormality

Any abnormality which is present at birth. Also called birth defects, they can arise from genetic inheritance or acquired during gestation through disease or drugs.

Conization of the Cervix

A term used to describe a surgical procedure in which a large biopsy of the cervix is taken in the shape of a cone. It is used to determine a premalignant or malignant condition of the cervix.

Conjoined Twins

A term used to describe two fetuses developed from the same ovum that are physically united at birth. The degree of union can vary from a superficial join to one in which one of the fetuses is attached to a small incompletely developed fetus.

Conjoined twins are the result of inadequate separation of the blastomeres early in pregnancy and a late cleavage phase results in the fused condition. Surgical separation at birth is increasingly viable but dependent on the extent of the fusion of the twins and the degree of development of the fetuses.

Constipant

The opposite of a laxative. Constipants are administered to reduce or prevent the occurance of a loose stool.

Contraction Stress Test

A test used to determine the fetal response to uterine contractions which is used to measure fetal wellbeing.

Contractions

The rhythmic action of the uterine muscle that begins mildly and becomes stronger late in labor as they dilate the cervix during labor and apply pressure to the baby through the birth canal. Contractions occur as frequently as every 2 minutes and may last for 1 minute.

Convulsion

A term used to describe a sudden, violent and involuntary contraction of a group of muscles. Convulsions may be episodic in the case of a seizure disorder such as epilepsy, or transient and acute if it occurs after a head injury. There are five types of convulsions described as clonic, tonic, focal, unilateral or bilateral.

Cordocentesis

A procedure during pregnancy in which a needle is inserted into the fetal vein in the umbilical cord permitting fetal blood to be analyzed, blood to be transfused or drugs to be injected directly into the baby.

Cornea

A dense transparent structure that forms the outermost portion of the eye. It is nonvascular (does not contain blood), and projects like a dome beyond the sclera.

Corpus Luteum

A structure about 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter on the surface of the ovary that grows within the ovarian follicle following ovulation.

During a woman's reproductive lifetime, a corpus luteum forms after each ovulation and secretes progesterone, which helps to maintain the mucus lining of the uterus in the necessary state for implantation and pregnancy.

If fertilization fails to occur, the corpus luteum atrophies 2 weeks prior to menstruation turning into a pale spot called the corpus albicans.

Should conception take place, it will secrete increasing quantities of progesterone fulfilling its maximum function (and helping to create the placenta) at about 11 weeks of gestation. Thereafter it will diminish in size until about 6 months after gestation.

Corpuscles

A collective term used to describe the red blood cells and white blood cells, which together with the plasma make up the blood. It is also sometimes spelled corpuscules.

Cortisone

A natural steroid produced by the adrenal gland immediately before labor where it can be found in the amniotic fluid.

Cot Death

The sudden and unexplained death of an otherwise healthy and normal infant during sleep with no sign of disease.

It is the most common cause of death among infants between the ages of 2 weeks and 1 year occuring once in every 300 - 350 births.

Causes of cot death are unknown although many theories have been put forward. Among them are a lack of biotin in the diet, an abnormality of the endgenous-opioid system, suffocation in the crib, a defect in the respiratory mucosal defence, prolonged apnea, an unknown virus, an abnormality of the larynx or immunoglobulin.

The condition seems to occur more frequently during the winter months among children between 10 - 14 weeks. Children born prematurely seem more susceptible as are males. Other predisposing factors include a higher incidence among children born of women less than 20 years of age and have had at least one previous child, those who begin prenatal care in the third trimester and among mothers who smoke are anemic or drug dependent.

Cot death is neither contagious nor hereditary but there is increased risk of occurence within the same family. Also called sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or crib death.

Crowning

The term given to the moment when a baby's head first appears in the vagina during delivery, and does not slip back in.

Crown to Rump Length

A measurement used to determine fetal development which is taken from the top of the baby's head (the crown) to the baby's buttocks (the rump).

Cryptorchidism

The failure of one or both of the testicles to descend into the scrotum. Should descent not have occured by the age of one, hormones may be administered. If unsuccesful prior to the age of five, surgery called orchipexy will probably be performed. Also called undescended testis.

Cutaneous Papilloma

A small brown or flesh colored outgrowth of skin. They are most frequently seen on the neck of an older person. Also called skin tag.

CVS

A test in which the tissue surrounding the outer membrane of the embryo is analysed for genetic handicap. Also known as chronic villus sampling.

Cystitis

Inflamation of the urinary tract, including the bladder and ureters. It causes pain when passing urine and frequency of urnination.

It can be caused by infection, calculus or tumor. Depending on the diagnosis, it can be treated by antibiotics, increased fluid intake, rest and medication to control bladder spasms.

Cytomegalovirus Infection

A group of viruses from the herpes family. Cytomegalovirus infections are characterized by malaise, fever, lymphadenopathy, pneumonia, hepatosplenomegaly and superinfection with various bacteria and fungi. It is the result of the depressed response of the immune system, characteristic of herpesviruses. Abbreviated to CMV.

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