Nurse Key

Imprinting Imprinting is the differential expression of a gene or set of genes that is determined by whether that genetic material was inherited from the mother or from the father….

Clinical spectrum of pre-eclampsia Pre-eclampsia is a unique disorder found only in human pregnancies. Historically, pre-eclampsia has been defined as the triad of hypertension, proteinuria and edema in a pregnant…

Twins may arise from one of two mechanisms: division of a single fertilized ovum into two embryos (“identical” or monozygotic twins) or fertilization of two separate ova (“fraternal” or dizygotic…

The etiologies of primary and secondary amenorrhea often overlap. Those more commonly associated with primary amenorrhea are discussed in Chapter 30. Most secondary amenorrhea results from anovulation. The most common…

Structural anomalies Structural anomalies of the uterus, cervix and vagina are the most common abnormalities of sexual differentiation seen in women. They arise from embryologic abnormalities of Müllerian system development…

Hyperprolactinemia is a common clinical problem. Cases resulting from inappropriate prolactin secretion by the pituitary gland are the third most frequently diagnosed cause of chronic anovulation and secondary amenorrhea. There…

Cryptorchidism An undescended testis (cryptorchidism) is the most common genital abnormality seen in male newborn infants. It occurs in 3% of babies. Either one or both testes may be involved….

Maternal physiology must adapt in response to a series of demands attendant to pregnancy (Fig. 20.1). The pregnant woman needs to increase her circulating blood volume to supply nutrients to…

Placental production of protein hormones The placenta is a very rich source of both protein and steroid hormones, only a few of which are unique to pregnancy (Fig. 18.1). These…

Labor is the process by which the fetus and its supporting placenta and membranes pass from the uterus to the outside world. It is defined as regular uterine contractions that…