Medical Terminology: Urology and Nephrology

Urinary System and Male Reproductive System

balan/o

glans penis

cyst/o

urinary bladder, sac

epididym/o

epididymis

glomerul/o

glomerulus

lith/o

stone

nephr/o

kidney

orch/o

testis

orchi/o

testis

orchid/o

testis

prostat/o

prostate gland

pyel/o

renal pelvis

ren/o

kidney

semin/i

semen

sperm/o

sperm

spermat/o

sperm

testicul/o

testis

ur/o

urine

ureter/o

ureter

urethr/o

urethra

urin/o

urine

vas/o

vas deferens

vesicul/o

seminal vesicle

albumin/o

albumin

azot/o

nitrogen waste

bacteri/o

bacteria

bi/o

life

corpor/o

body

crypt/o

hidden

genit/o

genitals

glycos/o

sugar, glucose

hem/o

blood

hemat/o

blood

hydr/o

water

noct/i

night

olig/o

scanty

py/o

pus

rect/o

rectum

varic/o

dilated vein

ven/o

vein

-cele

protrusion

-plasia

formation of cells

-pexy

surgical fixation

-ptosis

drooping

-stenosis

narrowing

-tripsy

surgical crushing

-uria

urine condition

antibiotic

Medication used to treat bacterial infections

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

Noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland; condition places pressure on the urethra and narrows it, resulting in frequency, urgency, and nocturia; commonly seen in males over age 50

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)

Blood test to determine kidney function by measuring the level of nitrogenous waste, or urea, in the blood

Calculus

Term for a “stone formed within an organ”; most are formed from mineral salts; commonly found in the kidney, renal pelvis, ureters, bladder, or urethra; plural is calculi

chlamydia

Bacterial sexually transmitted disease; causes inflammation of the urethra of males or cervix of females with purulent discharge

Circumcision

Surgical removal of the prepuce, or foreskin, from glans penis; commonly performed on newborn males at the request of parents; primary reason is for ease of hygiene; also a ritual practiced in some religions

Clean catch specimen

Procedure for obtaining a urine sample after cleaning off the urethral meatus and catching urine in midstream (halfway through the urination process) to minimize contamination from the skin

Digital rectal exam (DRE)

Direct examination for the presence of an enlarged prostate gland performed by palpating (feeling) the prostate gland with the fingers (digital) through wall of the rectum

Diuresis

Increased formation and secretion of urine

Erectile dysfunction (ED)

Inability to achieve erection of the penis for coitus; also called impotence

Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL)

Treatment procedure for urinary system stones; utilizes ultra sound waves to break up stones; process is noninvasive, meaning it does not require surgery

Frequency

Condition of feeling the urge to urinate more often than normal but without an increase in the total daily volume of urine; can indicate inflammation of bladder or urethra or benign prostatic hyperplasia

Genital herpes

Highly infectious viral sexually transmitted disease; causes blisterlike lesions on the penis of males or the cervix and vagina of females

Gonorrhea

Bacterial sexually transmitted disease; infects the mucous membranes and can spread throughout the entire genitourinary system; often does not cause many symptoms until it is widespread

hemodialysis (HD)

Treatment for renal failure using an artificial kidney machine to filter waste from the blood

Hesitancy

State of difficulty initiating the flow of urine; often a symptom of blockage along the urethra, such as caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia

Hydrocele

Accumulation of fluid within the scrotum

Hypospadias

Congenital malformation of penis with the urethra opening on underside of penis

intravenous pyelogram (IVP)

X-ray of the kidney following injection of dye into a vein to visualize renal pelvis as the kidney filters dye out of the bloodstream and puts it into the urine

peritoneal dialysis

Artificial means to remove wastes by placing a warm, chemically balanced solution into the peritoneal cavity; treatment for renal failure

phimosis

Narrowing of the prepuce over the glans penis; may cause difficulty with urination and infection; treatment is circumcision

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)

Inherited kidney disease characterized by the presence of multiple cysts throughout the kidney tissue; eventually destroys the kidneys and results in kidney failure

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)

Blood test to screen for prostate cancer

Prostatic cancer

Common and slow-growing cancer of the prostate gland occurring in males over age 50; prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is used to assist in early detection of this disease

Renal failure

Inability of the kidneys to filter wastes from blood and/or produce urine; treatment of severe renal failure is dialysis or renal transplant

Renal transplant

Replacement of diseased kidney by a donor kidney

Retrograde pyelogram (RP)

X-ray of the urinary bladder, ureters, and renal pelvis following insertion of dye through the urethra

Semen analysis

Evaluation of the semen for fertility; sperm in the semen are analyzed for number, swimming strength, and shape; procedure is also used to determine if a vasectomy has been successful

Sterility

Inability to produce children; in males, it is usually due to a problem with sperm production, such as aspermia or oligospermia; also called infertility

Syphilis

Bacterial, chronic sexually transmitted disease; begins as localized ulcer at point of infection; easily treated early with antibiotics; if left untreated, infection eventually spreads through lymph nodes to nervous system, causing death many years later

Testicular cancer

Cancer of one or both testicles; more commonly seen in young men or boys

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)

Surgical removal of prostate tissue by inserting a device called a resectoscope through the urethra and removing prostate tissue; may also be referred to as transurethral resection (TUR)

Trichomoniasis

Protozoan sexually transmitted disease; causes inflammation of the genitourinary tract in both men and women

Undescended testicle

Congenital anomaly involving failure of one or both of testes to descend into scrotal sac before birth; a surgical procedure called orchiopexy may be required to bring testes down into the scrotum permanently; also called cryptorchidism

Urgency

Feeling the need to urinate immediately

Urinalysis (U/A, UA)

Laboratory test that consists of physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of the urine

Urinary catheterization (cath)

Insertion of a flexible tube, or catheter, into the urinary bladder through the urethra; used to withdraw urine or insert dye

Urinary incontinence

Involuntary urination; also called enuresis

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Infection of any region of the urinary tract; characterized by fever, low back or abdominal pain, and burning pain during urination

Urine culture & sensitivity (C&S)

Diagnostic lab procedure that identifies bacterial infection of the urinary system and determines the best antibiotic to treat it; involves growing bacteria in culture medium and testing different antibiotics on it

Varicocele

Development of varicose veins in the scrotal veins

Voiding cystourethrography (VCUG)

X-rays made while the patient voids dye that has been placed in the urinary bladder through the urethra