Suffixes (Chapter 3)

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering diagnostic, procedural, and adjective suffixes used in medical terminology.

Suffixes overview

Suffixes are divided into two groups: diagnostic suffixes describe disease conditions or their symptoms; procedural suffixes describe procedures used in patient care.

-algia

Pain

-emia

Blood condition

-ia

Condition

-itis

Inflammation

-megaly

Enlargement

-oma

Tumor, mass

-osis

Condition, abnormal condition

-pathy

Disease condition

-rrhea

Flow, discharge

-rrhage

Excessive flow or discharge

-rrhagia

Discharge of blood

-sclerosis

Hardening

-uria

Condition of urine

-al/-eal

Pertaining to

-ar

Pertaining to

-ary

Pertaining to

-ic

Pertaining to

-centesis

Puncture to remove fluid

-ectomy

Removal, resection, excision

-gram

Record

-graphy

Process of recording

-lysis

Separation, breakdown, destruction

-plasty

Surgical repair or surgical correction

-scopy

Process of visual examination

-stomy

Opening

-therapy

Treatment

-tomy

Incision, to cut into