Medical terminology suffixes

Suffixes commonly used in medical terminology

What do suffixes tell us in medical terminology?

symptomatic, procedural, diagnostic

-algia

pain

-cele

hernia, protrusion (example: cystocele=protrusion of bladder)

-cise

cut (ex.: excise=to cut out)

-cyte

cell (ex: erythrocyte=red cell)

-dynia

pain (ex: cardiodynia=heart pain)

-ecstasis

dilation (ex: bronchiecstasis=dilated bronchi)

-gen

that which produces (ex: mutagen=that which produces a mutation)

-genesis

produces, generates (ex: osteogenesis=bone formation)

-genic

produces, produced by (ex: carcinogenic=producing cancer)

-ia

state, condition (ex: hemiplegia=condition of being half paralyzed)

-iasis

abnormal condition (ex: lithiasis=abnormal condition of stones)

-ism

state of (ex: hypothyroidism=state of low thyroid)

-itis

inflammation (ex: cellulitis=inflammation of cells)

-logist

one who studies (ex: cardiologist=one who studies the heart)

-logy

study of (ex: cardiology=study of the heart)

-lysis

destruction (ex: osteolysis=bone destruction)

-malacia

abnormal softening (ex: chondromalacia=abnormal softening of the cartilage)

-megaly

enlargement, large (ex: cardiomegaly=enlargement of the heart)

-oma

tumor, mass (ex: carcinoma=cancerous tumor)

-osis

abnormal condition (ex: cyanosis=abnormal condition of being blue)

-pathy

disease (ex: myopathy=muscle disease)

-plasia

development (ex: dysplasia=abnormal development)

-plasm

formation, development (ex: neoplasm=new development)

-ptosis

drooping (ex: proctopsis=drooping rectum)

-rrhage

excessive/abnormal flow (ex: hemorrhage=excessive bleeding)

-rrhea

discharge, flow (ex: rhinorrhea=discharge from the nose)

-rrhexis

rupture (ex: hysterorrhexis=ruptured uterus)

-sclerosis

hardening (ex: arteriosclerosis=hardening of the artery)

-stenosis

narrowing (ex: angiostenosis=narrowing of a vessel)

-therapy

treatment (ex: chemotherapy=treatment with chemicals)

-trophy

nourishment/development (ex: hypertrophy=excessive development)