Dictionary

endometritis Inflammation of the endometrium, the inner layer of the uterus.

endometriosis A noncancerous condition in which tissue that looks like endometrial tissue grows in abnormal places, most often in the abdomen. Although most women with endometriosis have no symptoms, pelvic pain during menstruation or ovulation can be a symptom of endometriosis. Endometriosis can also be suspected by a physician during a physical examination and confirmed…

endometrial hyperplasia A condition characterized by overgrowth of the lining of the uterus.

endometrial biopsy A common procedure for sampling the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium). Endometrial biopsy is usually done to learn the cause of abnormal uterine bleeding, although it may be used to determine the cause of infertility, test for uterine infections, and monitor the response to certain medications. The main problems resulting from…

endogenous Originating from inside an organism. For example, endogenous cholesterol is cholesterol that is made inside the body, not derived from the diet. See also exogenous.

endoderm The innermost of the three primary germ cell layers (the other two being the mesoderm and ectoderm) that make up the very early embryo. It differentiates to give rise first to the embryonic gut and then to the linings of the respiratory and digestive tracts and the liver and pancreas. Also referred to as…

endocrinopathy A disease of an endocrine gland. The term endocrinopathy is commonly used as a medical term for a hormone problem. Common endocrinopathies include hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

endocrinology The study of the medical aspects of hormones, including diseases and conditions associated with hormonal imbalance, damage to the glands that make hormones, or the use of synthetic or natural hormonal drugs. An endocrinologist is a physician who specializes in the management of hormone conditions.

endocrine Pertaining to hormones and the glands that make and secrete them into the bloodstream through which they travel to affect distant organs. See also endocrinology; endocrinopathy.

endocervical curettage The removal of tissue from the inside of the cervix, using a spoon-shaped instrument called a curette.

endocardium The lining of the interior surface of the heart chambers. The endocardium consists of a layer of endothelial cells and an underlying layer of connective tissue.

endemic typhus See typhus, murine.