A
Laboratory procedure in which an opening is made in the zona pellucida of an embryo, using chemical, mechanical or laser means.
Reduced percentage of motile spermatozoa in the ejaculate, below the reference value (<32%)
Azoospermia is the term used to define the absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate. This may be obstructive, where there is a blockage that prevents the passage of spermatozoa into the ejaculate, or non-obstructive, which results from a reduction in their production in the testicle.
B
Pregnancy diagnosed solely by detection of the hormone beta hCG in the blood or urine
Embryonic phase which occurs on the 5th/6th day of development. It consists of a fluid-filled cavity (blastocelium), an outer layer of cells (trophectoderm) and a set of inner cells (inner cell mass).
C
Process during which strong links are formed between the cells of the embryo (blastomeres), resulting in a cohesive mass whose cell membranes are indistinguishable.
Medically assisted procreation technique involving the processing of gametes and fertilisation in the laboratory (in vitro).
Process for preserving biological material (gametes, zygotes, embryos in the cleavage phase, blastocysts, testicular tissue, ovarian tissue) at extremely low temperatures.
Cryopreserved embryo transfer cycle. This involves thawing the embryos, preparing the patient’s endometrium and transferring the embryos into the uterine cavity.Toggle Content
Inability of the testicles to descend into the scrotum during the neonatal period or up to the age of 1 year
Pregnancy diagnosed by ultrasound visualisation of one or more gestational sacs
E
Pregnancy loss occurring up to 12 weeks gestation. Includes pregnancies with an empty gestational sac (anembryonic) or with an embryo without cardiac activity.
Pregnancy outside the uterine cavity
Procedure whereby embryos are placed in the patient’s uterine cavity using special catheters.
A disease characterised by the presence of endometrial tissue (tissue that lines the uterus) outside the uterine cavity. In most cases, this tissue is found in the pelvis, in organs such as the fallopian tube and ovary, but it can also be found in places such as the bladder, intestine, lungs or diaphragm.
Process by which the blastocyst is freed from the layer surrounding it (zona pellucida), thus allowing implantation.
F
Biological process that begins with the entry of sperm into a mature oocyte, followed by the formation of female and male pronuclei.
Probability of pregnancy during a menstrual cycle with unprotected sex
Rapid surgical procedure performed under sedation, during which the ovarian follicles are aspirated.
IVF or ICSI cycle in which all the embryos are cryopreserved, with no embryo transfer in this cycle
G
Nucleus of an oocyte in Prophase I and therefore immatureToggle Content
Structure associated with early pregnancy which initially houses the yolk bladder and later the embryo.
H
Ejaculation volume greater than the maximum reference value (> 5 mL)
Volume of ejaculation below the minimum reference value (<1.5 mL)
I
Infertility of unknown or unexplained cause
Oocyte that has not completed maturation. Oocyte in VG phase (germinal vesicle) or MI phase (without extrusion of the 1st polar cell), with no possibility of being fertilised.
Process of attachment of the embryo to the endometrium which occurs from the 5th to the 7th day after fertilisation, leading to the formation of a gestational sac. Implantation may take place outside the uterine cavity, resulting in an ectopic pregnancy.
A disease of the reproductive system defined by the absence of pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.
Group of cells coherently aggregated in the blastocyst. These cells have the capacity to differentiate into different cell types and tissues.
Medically assisted procreation technique involving the processing of gametes and the microinjection of a single sperm into the oocyte, using a microscope and specialised equipment.
A medically assisted procreation treatment that is painless and of little complexity, which consists of introducing carefully treated sperm directly into the woman’s uterus.
Laboratory procedure used to mature immature oocytes. Mature oocytes are capable of being fertilised.
L
Quantity of leukocytes in the ejaculate above the reference value (1 million/mL ejaculate). May indicate injection into the male reproductive system.
M
Fully matured oocyte showing extrusion of the 1st polar blood cell
Segments of genetic material absent from the Y chromosome. They are associated with changes in spermatogenesis.
Embryo after cell compaction, generally 4 days after fertilisation
Genetic disease characterised by the presence of more than one genetic lineage in the cells of the same embryo.
Presence of more than one nucleus in a cell
Pregnancy with more than one embryo
N
Designation of an ejaculate sample which presents all the parameters evaluated in the spermogram within the reference values
O
Concentration of spermatozoa in the ejaculate below the reference value (<39 million/ejaculate)
Complication resulting from an exaggerated response of the ovaries to hormonal stimulation, requiring specific treatment and, in extreme cases, hospitalisation.
The number of follicles present in the ovaries, which reflects a woman’s reproductive capacity. It can be assessed by ultrasound follicle count and hormone analysis.Toggle Content
Stimulation of the growth of several ovarian follicles simultaneously, using hormonal drugs
Process of expulsion of an oocyte from the ovarian follicle
P
Product of asymmetric cell division during female meiosis. The first polar cell is formed during telophase I and its presence is indicative of oocyte maturity. The second polar cell is extruded in response to fertilisation.
Hormonal imbalance, the most common symptoms of which are irregular menstrual cycles, excess hair growth, hair loss, acne, obesity and high blood pressure. It is one of the main causes of female infertility.
Procedures and techniques for freezing gametes (oocytes or spermatozoa) or gonadal tissue (ovarian or testicular tissue) in order to preserve an individual’s reproductive potential.
A technique for analysing the DNA of oocytes or embryos to detect genetic abnormalities. Includes PGT-A (aneuploids), PGT-SR (structural chromosomal abnormalities) and PGT-M (monogenic diseases).
Fertilised oocyte with two pronuclei (female and male) and two polar blood cells
R
Two or more spontaneous miscarriages before 22 weeks of pregnancy
S
Condition in which only Sertoli cells (cells involved in spermatogenesis) are observed in the seminiferous tubules of the testicles, with a total absence of spermatozoa.
Examination to assess the ejaculate and the function of the male reproductive system. Parameters such as volume, pH, concentration, motility, vitality and morphology are assessed.
The process by which male gametes (spermatozoa) are formed in the seminiferous tubules of the testicles.
T
Reduced percentage of spermatozoa of normal morphology observed in the ejaculate (<4%)
Surgical procedure involving the extraction of one or more fragments of testicular tissue to obtain sperm.
Cells that form the outer layer of a blastocyst and give rise to the placenta and amniotic membranes.
V
Swelling due to dilation of the veins that drain blood from the testicles
Surgical procedure in which the vas deferens of both testicles are ligated, preventing the expulsion of sperm in the ejaculate.
Z
Layer of glycoprotein which surrounds the oocyte and plays an important role in fertilisation.
Cell resulting from the fertilisation of a mature oocyte by a spermatozoid, before the first cell division.