Chapter 1 Introduction to Medical Terminology

-algia

Pain, sufferring

Dys-

bad, difficult, painful, abnormal

-ectomy

Surgical removal

-megaly

Enlargment

Hyper-

Excessive, increased, more than normal

Hypo-

Deficient, decreased, less than normal

-itis

inflammation

-malacia

Abnormal softening.

-necrosis

Tissue death

-osis

Any abnormal condition or disease

-ostomy

The creation of an artificial opening to the body

-otomy

to cut into or incision

-plasty

surgical repair

-rrhage

burst forth of blood

-rrhea

flow or discharge

-rrhaphy

to suture

-rrhexis

to rupture

-centiesis

surgical puncture

-sclerosis

abnormal hardening

arthr/o

Joint

carcin/o

cancer

cardi

heart

cephal

head

electr

electricity

gastr

stomach

hepat

liver

my

muscle

oste

bone

rhin

nose

-pathy

disease

-ology

study of

-ologist

one who studies

a-

without

bi-

two

inter-

between, among

intra-

within, inside

post-

after, behind

pre-

before, in front of

peri-

surrounding, around

sub-

under, below

encephal-

brain

fibr/o

fibrous

dermat/o

Combining form meaning skin

-oma

tumor, mass

cutane

skin

-ous

pertaining to, full of, or possessing

-ar

pertaining to, characteristic of

-ic

pertaining to or relating to

laryng

larynx (voice box)

neur

nerve

opthalm

eye

oto

ear

-scope

look, observe

scapul

scapula (shoulder blade)

angi-

vessel

ventricul

ventricle; a small cavity

pan-

all, entire

men/o

menstruation, menses

enter

small intestine

cyan

blue

erythr/o

red

melan

black

luek/o

white

poli/o

gray

symptom

subjective evidence of a disease, such as pain or a headache

syndrome

A group of symptoms typical of a particular disease or condition

signs

objective changes that a clinician can observe and measure

diagnosis

identification of a disease

prognosis

a prediction of the course of a disease

differential diagnosis

a list of conditions the patient may have based on the symptoms exhibited and the results of the exam

acronym

A word formed from the first letter of each word in a series