Meaning & use
procidentia
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
A condition in which an organ, especially the uterus or rectum, has fallen forward and out of its normal position.
Grammar: Uncountable medical term: uterine procidentia.
Patterns
- procidentia of something
The doctor diagnosed uterine procidentia and recommended surgery.
Rectal procidentia is more common in older patients.
The textbook describes procidentia as a complete form of prolapse.
Common combinations
- uterine procidentia
- Uterine procidentia may need surgical repair.
- rectal procidentia
- Rectal procidentia causes discomfort when sitting.
- complete procidentia
- The patient presented with complete procidentia.
- treat procidentia
- Surgeons treat procidentia with repair operations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- prolapse
- Prolapse is the common term and can describe any degree, whereas procidentia usually means a severe, complete case.
- descent
- Descent is a milder word for an organ dropping lower without protruding.
- herniation
- Herniation means pushing through a wall of tissue, a different mechanism.
Word family
- prolapse noun
- the slipping of an organ from its place
- prolapsed adjective
- having slipped out of position
Commonly confused: procidentia or prolapse?
procidentia vs prolapse
Prolapse is the general condition; procidentia is the most severe, complete form.
Practice
A doctor describing a complete downward displacement of the uterus beyond the vaginal opening would use the term ____ .
Choose one answer.
Procidentia names complete prolapse. Prognosis is a forecast of an illness, a procedure is a medical operation and precedence is priority.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “procidentia”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.