Suffixes - Medical Terminology

Suffixes

Abdominocentesis—surgical puncture to remove fluid from the abdomen. More properly known as abdominal paracenthesis

Abscess—collection of pus

Achondroplasia—a genetic disorder or can be mutation in a specific gene disturbing normal growth of cartilage. Marked by short limbs but normal sized head and trunk and normal intellegence

Acromegaly—genetic disorder, excessive amount of growth hormone produced by pituitary gland, after the completion of puberty. Endocrine disorder that result most often in benign tumor of a pituitary gland. A person with acromegaly is typically of normal height but small bones and soft tissues in the hands, feet and face grow abnormally

Acrophobia—fear of heights

Acute—dangerous or very serious

Adenoids—resembling glands or small masses of lymphatic tissue in the pharynx near nose and nasal passage, meaning “resembling glands”, as they are neither endocrine glands nor exocrine glands

Adipose—fat

Agoraphobia—a fear of being in public places. Agora means market place

Amniocentesis—surgical puncture of a sac membrane to remove fluid

Anemia—low red blood count

Angiogenesis—formation of blood vessel

Angiography—process of recording blood vessel

Angioplasty—surgical repair of blood vessel in which an interventional cardiologist opens a narrowed blood vessel using a balloon that is inflated after insertion into the vessel

Aplastic anemia—erythrocyte, leukocyte and thrombocyte are not formed in bone marrow

Arteriole—small artery

Arteriosclerosis—hardening of arteries by deposits of fats in an artery

Arthralgia—pain in joints

Atrophy—decrease in nourishment or size

Axillary—pertaining to axilla

Basophil—a kind of leukocyte which increases in the healing phase of inflammation

Biopsy—process of viewing a sample

Blepharoptosis—prolapsing of an upper eyelid

Bronchitis—inflammation in bronchial tube

Carcinogenesis—formation of cancer

Carcinogenic—pertaining to producing cancer

Cardiac—pertaining to heart

Cardiomyopathy—disease condition of heart muscle

Chemotherapy—drug treatment

Chondromalacia—softening of connective tissue

Chronic—pertaining to frequent occurrence. Acute is opposite of chronic

Colostomy—incision of colon

Cystocele—hernia in urinary bladder. It occurs when part of the urinary bladder herniates through the vaginal walls as a result of weakness of the pelvic muscles

Diplococci—berry shaped bacteria organized in pairs are pneumococci and gonococci

Electroencephalogram—record of electricity in brain

Electroencephalograph—An instrument that generates a record of the electrical activity of the brain by measuring electric potentials using electrodes attached to the scalp

Electroencephalography—process of recording electricity in brain

Eosinophil—a kind of leukocyte increases in number in allergic condition

Erythrocyte—red blood cell

Erythropenia—deficiency in red blood cell

Esophagus—the muscular canal extending from the pharynx to the stomach

Gonococci—invade the reproductive organs, causing gonorrhea

Gonorrhea—sexually transmitted infection

Granulocyte—polymorphonuclear cell having multilobed nucleus and formed in bone marrow. There are three types such as eosinophils, basophils and neutrophils

Hematoma—mass of blood

Hemoglobin—an important protein in erythrocyte, carries the oxygen through the bloodstream

Hemolysis—breakdown of blood with release of hemoglobin

Hemostasis—blood flow is stopped naturally by clotting or artificially by suturing a wound. Formation of blood

Hernia—protrusion of an organ or the muscular wall of an organ through the cavity that normally contain it.

Hiatal hernia—occurs when the stomach protrudes upward into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm

Hydronephrosis—kidney condition where kidneys are overfilled with urine or water

Hydrotherapy—water treatment

Hypertrophy—excessive development. Cell increase in size and number. Muscle of weight lifters often hyperthrophy

Inguinal hernia—occurs when part of the intestine protrudes downwards into the groin region and commonly into the scrotal sac in the male

Inguinal—pertaining to groin

Ischemia—to hold back blood from cell.  Because of decrease supply in blood clot in a vessels or narrowing or closing of vessel, tissue become ischemic and can even die as deprived of oxygen

Laparoscope—an endoscope for examining the peritoneal cavity

Laparoscopy—process of examining peritoneal cavity using a laparoscope

Laparotomy—also refer to “lap”. This procedure is creation of a large incision into the peritoneal cavity

Laryngeal—pertaining to larynx

Laryngectomy—Surgery to remove part or all of the larynx

Leukemia—malignancy of white blood cells such as granulocytes that derived from bone marrow tissue

Leukocyte—white blood cell

Leukocytosis—white blood cell condition

Lymphocyte—fight disease by producing antibodies, thereby destroying foreign cell. Two types are T cells and B cells. In AIDS patients have depletion of T cells

Mammogram—record of breast

Mastectomy—surgical removal of breast

Metastasis—spread of malignant tumor beyond its original site to a secondary organ or location

Monocyte—a kind of leukocyte that destroy cellular debris after neutrophils have attached foreign cells. It leaves the bloodstream and enter tissue to become macrophages which are large phagocytes

Mononuclearleukocyte—agranulocyte having one large nucleus, formed in bone marrow as well as spleen and lymph nodes. There are two types such as lymphocyte and monocytes

Morphology—study of size, shape and structure rather than the function

MRSA--abbreviation for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is difficult to treat with antibiotics

Mucoid—derived from mucus

Mucousmembrane—the moist lining of a body cavity and produce sticky secretion called mucus

Mucus—Thick fluid produced by the moist membranes that line many body cavities

Multiple myeloma—malignant tumor occurs in bone marrow tissue throughout the body

Myalgia—muscle pain

Myelitis—inflammation in spinal cord

Myeloid—bone marrow tissue

Myeloma—mass of bone marrow

Myoma—benign tumor of muscle

Myosarcoma—a malignant tumor of muscle tissue

Necropsy—process of viewing a body after death. An autopsy

Necrosis—condition of a death tissue or cell

Necrotic—pertaining to the death of tissue of body

Nephrologist—specialist in kidneys or abdominal cavity

Nephropathy—disease condition of a kidney

Neuralgia—pain in nerves

Neutropenia—deficiency of neutrophils in the blood

Neutrophil—a kind of leukocyte that fight disease cell. They are phagocytes—they engulf and digest bacteria, they are the most numerous fight “soldier” and refers to as “poly” because of their multilobed mucleus

Omphalocele—herniation of the intestines through weakness in the abdominal wall around the naval occurring in infants at birth

Ophthalmology—process of study of eye care

Osteogenic—forming in bone

Osteomalacia—softening of bones

Otalgia—ear pain

Paracentesis—a surgical puncture of a bodily cavity

Pathogenesis—formation of disease

Pathologic—pertaining to the study of disease

Pericardium—a membrane around heart

Peritoneal—pertaining to peritoneum or abdomen

Phlebotomy—incision of vein

Platelet—clotting of blood or thrombocyte

Pleural—pertaining to pleura or lungs

Pleurodynia—pain in pleura or chest wall muscle

Pneumococci—cause bacterial pneumonia

Pneumonia—pertaining to lungs

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte—neutrophils

Ptosis—prolapse

Pulmonary—pertaining to lungs

Radiographer—a technologists who assists in the making of diagnostic x ray

Radiotherapy—x ray treatment or high energy radiation is used to treat not diagnose illness

Rectocele—hernia of rectum. It is the protrusion of a portion of the rectum toward the vagina

Sickle cell anemia—erythrocyte assume as abnormal shape and clog blood vessels

Splenomegaly—enlargement of spleen. It occurs with development of high blood pressure in hepatic veins and hemolytic blood disease. Spleen is composed of lymph tissue and blood vessels disposes of dying red blood cells and manufactures white blood cells.

Staphylococci—berry shaped bacteria

Thoracentesis—surgical puncture of taking our fluid from chest. Short form of thoracocentesis

Thrombocyte—platelet- blood clothing cell that are formed in the bone marrow and are necessary for blood clotting

Thrombocytopenia—decrease in the number of blood platelets

Thrombophlebitis—inflammation in veins forming clotting. Also called phlebitis

Tonsillar—pertaining to tonsil

Tonsillitis—inflammation in tonsils

Tonsils—lymphatic tissue in the back of the throat

Tracheostomy—surgical opening into the trachea through which an indwelling tube is inserted

Tracheotomy—incision of trachea to open it below a blockage. It may be performed to remove a foreign body or to obtain a biopsy specimen

Venule—small veins