How Do You Spell ACARDIACUS?

1. Acardiacus is a medical term derived from the Greek words "a-", meaning without, and "cardia", which refers to the heart. This term is primarily used in the field of obstetrics and describes a rare congenital malformation known as acardiac twinning, also referred to as "twin-reversed arterial perfusion" (TRAP) sequence.

   Acardiacus refers to a condition in which the heart does not form or is severely underdeveloped in one of the twins while the other twin develops normally. This abnormality occurs in monochorionic pregnancies, where two fetuses share the same placenta. In these cases, blood vessels in the placenta connect the circulatory systems of both embryos, resulting in blood flow from the healthy twin to the acardiac twin.

   The acardiac twin, also known as the recipient twin, lacks a functioning heart and usually presents as a mass of tissues, with the presence of extremities and other organs. However, due to the absence of a pumping heart, the acardiac twin relies on the healthy twin's heart to supply it with oxygenated blood.

   The exact cause of acardiacus is not well understood, and treatment options are limited. In some cases, intervention may be necessary to prevent complications for the healthy twin, such as heart failure or preterm labor. Treatment methods can include various techniques to block the blood supply to the acardiac twin, such as laser occlusion or radiofrequency ablation, to improve the outcome for the healthy twin.

2. A monster, parasitic on another fetus, having no heart.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for ACARDIACUS

The word "acardiacus" comes from a combination of two roots: "a-" and "cardiacus".

1. The prefix "a-" is derived from the Greek prefix "a-" or "an-" meaning "without" or "not". It is often used to indicate the absence or lack of a certain feature.

2. The root "cardiacus" is derived from the Greek word "kardiakos", which means "related to the heart". It is related to the word "cardia", meaning "heart".

Putting these parts together, "acardiacus" can be understood as meaning "without a heart" or "lacking a heart". This term is commonly used in medical literature to describe a condition in which a fetus has an absence or partial development of its heart.