Medical Today

Definition

An abscess is a place of accumulation of the creamy white, yellow, or greenish fluid, known as pus, surrounded by reddened tissue. It is the result of the body’s inflammatory response to a foreign body or a bacterial, viral, parasitic, or fungal infection. An abscess usually dries out and resolves when it is drained of pus. The most common parts of the body affected by abscesses are the face, armpits, arms and legs, rectum, sebaceous glands (oil glands), and the breast during lactation.

Definition

Amniocentesis is a procedure used to diagnose fetal defects in the early second trimester of pregnancy.

A sample of the amniotic fluid, which surrounds a fetus in the womb, is collected through a pregnant woman’s abdomen using a needle and syringe. Tests performed on fetal cells found in the amniotic fluid can reveal the presence of many types of genetic disorders. Early diagnosis allows doctors and prospective parents to make important decisions about treatment and intervention prior to birth.