Dictionary

Guthrie test A blood test to screen for phenylketonuria (PKU) and the original impetus for the screening of newborns for metabolic diseases. See phenylalanine; phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency; PKU; PKU, maternal.

gutta percha A natural material derived from tree sap that can be formed to various shapes under heat. Because gutta percha does not cause allergic reactions, it is often used to pack the empty spaces left when a root canal is performed.

GVHD Graft-versus-host disease.

gyn Short for gynecology and gynecologist.

gynecoid Like a woman; womanly, female.

gynecoid obesity Overweight with a fat distribution generally characteristic of a woman, with the largest accumulation around the hips.

gynecoid pelvis A pelvis that is characteristic of a woman; see female pelvis.

gynecologic oncologist A physician who specializes in treating cancers of the female reproductive organs.

gynecologist A physician who specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive organs and providing well-woman health care that focuses primarily on the reproductive organs.

gynecology The branch of medicine that is particularly concerned with the health of the female organs of reproduction.

gynecomastia Excessive development of the male breasts. Temporary enlargement of the breasts is not unusual or abnormal in boys during adolescence or during recovery from malnutrition. Gynecomastia may also be a sign of an abnormal condition, as, for example, in Klinefelter syndrome.

H and H Common shorthand for hemoglobin and hematocrit, two very common and important blood tests. Sometimes written as H & H.