Medical Terminology: Suffixes for Diseases and Conditions

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering diagnostic, procedural, and general medical suffixes, their meanings, and clinical examples based on Batterjee Medical College lecture notes.

Diagnostic Suffixes

Suffixes that describe disease conditions or their symptoms.

Procedural Suffixes

Suffixes that describe procedures used in patient care.

General Suffixes

Suffixes of common application.

Combining Vowel Rule for Suffixes

A combining vowel is used when the suffix begins with a consonant.

-algia

Condition of pain / pain (examples: Cephalgia, Neuralgia).

-itis

Inflammation (examples: Hepatitis, Gastritis, Appendicitis).

-oma

Tumor / mass (examples: Melanoma, Adenoma).

-osis

Abnormal condition (examples: Necrosis, Nephrosis, Osteoporosis).

-pathy

Disease condition (example: Cardiomyopathy).

-megaly

Enlargement (examples: Hepatomegaly, Cardiomegaly).

-rrhea

Flow / discharge (example: Rhinorrhea).

-emesis

Vomiting.

Hematemesis

Vomiting blood; the regurgitation of stomach contents mixed with blood or the regurgitation of blood only.

-iasis

Condition or state.

Cholelithiasis

Gallstones, which are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in the gallbladder.

-edema

Excessive fluid.

Angioedema

The swelling of deep dermis, subcutaneous, or submucosal tissue due to vascular leakage, often involving the lip, eyes, and face.

-malacia

Softening.

Osteomalacia

Softening of the bones, most often occurring due to a lack of vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption and bone health.

-rrhage

Flowing forth.

Hemorrhage

Bleeding from a damaged blood vessel.

-sclerosis

Hardness.

Arteriosclerosis

Thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries.

-penia

Reduction of size or quantity.

Leukopenia

A decrease in disease-fighting cells (leukocytes) in the blood.

-ia

Condition.

Hypothermia

A condition in which the body temperature is below normal.

-ectomy

Surgical removal (examples: Nephrectomy, Gastrectomy, Appendectomy).

-stomy

Opening (example: Colostomy).

-scopy

Process of visual examination (examples: Cystoscopy, Arthroscopy).

-plasty

Surgical repair or correction (example: Rhinoplasty).

-gram

Record (example: Electrocardiogram).

-graphy

Process of recording (example: Cardiography).

-graph

Instrument for recording (example: Electrocardiograph).

-centesis

Puncture or aspiration (examples: Thoracentesis, Arthrocentesis).

-al, -eal, -ac, -ic, -ar, -ary, -ous, -tic, -ical

Pertaining to / related to (examples: Renal, vascular, Axillary, Pelvic, Cardiac, Humerous, Physiological, Therapeutic).

-ation

A process (examples: Digestion, Absorption).

-logy

Study of (examples: Pathology, Neurology, Histology).

-logist

A specialist / specializes in (examples: Dentist, Dermatologist, Cardiologist).

-therapy

Treatment (example: Chemotherapy).

-genic / -genesis

Produced by, formed by (example: Osteogenesis).

-globin

Protein (example: Hemoglobin).