Cefálica

Cefálica is the feminine form of the adjective cefálico, used in Portuguese and Spanish to indicate a relation to the head or skull. The term derives from the Greek kephalē (head) via Latin cephalus, and its use spans anatomy, obstetrics, anthropology and related biomedical fields.

In obstetrics, presentación cefálica (cephalic presentation) describes a fetus positioned to deliver head first, which is the most common and favorable presentation for vaginal birth. The exact position of the head at delivery can be further described with terms such as occipitoposterior, occipitotransverse or occipitofrontal, depending on the axis and orientation.

In anatomy, the cephalic designation appears in names of structures associated with the head region or on the head’s side of the body. A well-known example is the vena cefálica (cephalic vein), a superficial vein of the upper limb that runs along the lateral aspect of the arm and drains into the axillary vein. In some contexts, older or regionally varying texts may refer to a so-called arteria cefálica, but standard nomenclature more commonly uses other names for arteries in the upper limb.

In craniometry and anthropology, cefálica participates in terms such as índice cefálico (cephalic index) and cefalometría, which describe skull proportions and measurements. Terms like macrocefalia and microcefalia refer to abnormal head sizes.

Overall, cefálica functions as a descriptive term across disciplines to designate elements connected with or pertaining to the head, with cefálico serving as the masculine counterpart.