Medical Terminology

via Des Moines University

\-ologist/-ology

study, specialize in

* cardiologist, nephrologist (study the heart, the kidneys)

\-itis

inflammation

* tonsilitis, appendicitis

\-osis

abnormal condition

* cyanosis (of blueness, d/t cold or low O2)

\-ectomy

to cut out/ remove

* appendectomy, tonsillectomy

\-otomy

to cut into

* tracheotomy (to cut into the windpipe, temporary opening)

\-ostomy

to make a “mouth”

* colostomy (to make a permanent opening in colon)

a/an

without/none

* anemia (literally no blood but means few red cells)

micro

small

* microstomia (abnormally small mouth; see “stomy” in colostomy above)

macro

large

* macrostomia (abnormally large mouth)

mega/-megaly

enlarged

* megacolon (abnormally large colon= large intestine)

\-scopy/-scopic

to look, observe

* colonoscopy (look into colon)

\-graphy/graph

recording an image

* mammography (imaging the breasts)

\-gram

the image (x-ray)

* mammogram

stomato

mouth

* stomatitis

dento

teeth

* dentist

glosso/linguo

tongue

* glossitis, lingual nerve

gingivo

gums

* gingivitis

encephalo

brain

* encephalitis

gastro

stomach

* gastritis

entero

intestine

* gastroenteritis

colo

large intestine

* colitis, megacolon

procto

anus/rectum

* proctitis, proctologist

hepato

liver

* hepatitis, hepatomegaly

nephro/rene

kidney

* nephrosis, renal artery

orchido

testis

* orchiditis, ochidectomy

oophoro

ovary

* oophorectomy

hystero/metro

uterus

* hysterectomy, endometritis

salpingo

uterine tubes

* hysterosalpingogram

dermo

skin

* dermatitis

masto/mammo

breast

* mammography, mastectomy

osteo

bones

* osteoporosis

cardio

heart

* electrocardiogram (ECG)

cysto

bladder

* cystitis

rhino

nose

* rhinitis (runny nose)

phlebo/veno

veins

* phlebitis, phlebotomy

pneumo/pulmo

lung

* pneumonitis, pulmonologist

hemo/emia

blood

* hematologist, anemia

if i havent been brushing my teeth often enough, i may end up with bleeding from my gums, a condition called

gingivitis

a patient has had a dx of colon cancer and will need surgical removal of the colon. she will end up with a permanent hole in her abdomen for drainage into a bag. the permanent opening is called a

colostomy

you have been having chronic pains in your upper abdomen, and your family physician refers you to a specialist in diseases of the digestive tract called a

gastroenterologist

you have just been dx as having an enlarged liver. the doctor describes it as

hepatomegaly

you take your friend to ER w/ severe lower back pain and blood in his urine. after examination and lab tests, the physician reports that your friend has an inflammation of his kidneys and makes a dx of

nephritis

your friend who is a long distance runner is told by his physician that he has an enlarged heart, but that this can be a normal finding in well conditioned athletes. the dr writes on his chart that your friend has

cardiomegaly

your mother is having her uterus surgically removed along with her ovaries. removal of ovaries is called

oophorectomy

a patient has become sterile d/t chronic inflammation of her uterine tubes from freq infection w/ sexually transmitted dz’s. this tubal inflammation is called

salpingitis

salpingitis

inflammation of the fallopian tubes, caused by a bacterial infection

a pt w/ epilepsy has had a procedure performed that records brain electrical activity. this procedure is called

electroencephalography

a female pt has a special x-ray procedure of the breasts performed. the xray image is called a

mammogram

leuk/o

white

* leukemia (overabundance of WBC)

melan/o

black

* melanoma (black tumor of the skin)

cyan/o

blue

* cyanosis (blueness may be d/t cold or not enough O2 in blood)

xanth/o

yellow

* xanthoma (yellow tumor)

oma

a swelling

* add to an organ and tissue word roots names tumors

aden/o

gland

* adenoma

lip/o

fat

* lipoma

my/o

muscle

* myoma

lymph/o

lymph tissue

* lymphoma

carcin/o

malignant (cancerous)

* carcinoma

osteo/o

bone

* osteoma

endo

within, inside of

* endoscopy (to inspect the inside of an organ or space with a lighted instrument)

peri

around

* perianal (around the anus)

circum

around

* circumcise (cut around)

retro

behind

* retrosternal (behind the breastbone)

epi

upon, on top

* epidermis (the top or outermost layer of the skin)

trans

through

* transurethral (through the urinary exit duct)

intra

within

* intravenous (inside the veins, eg IV fluids)

sub

below

* subclavian (below the clavicle = collar bone)

cardi/o

heart

* endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis (inflammation of the lining, the muscle layer, the outer layer of the heart)

brady/tachy

slow/fast

* bradycardia (rate

angi/o

vessel

* angiography, angiogram (x-ray of artery)

veno/phlebo

vein

* venogram (x-ray of veins), phlebitis (inflammation of veins)

\-stasis

to stop

* hemostasis (to stop bleeding), hemostat (a clamp-like instrument)

\-cyte

cell

* erythrocytes, leukocyte (RBC, WBC)

hem/o, -emia

blood

* hypoxemia (low O2), hematosalpinx (blood in the uterine tubes)

pericarditis is a term describing inflammation of

the tough sac surrounding the heart

a physician who specializes in dx of dz of the heart is called a

cardiologist

a recording of the electrical activity of the heart is termed

electrocardiogram

bradycardia is a term describing an

abnormally slow HR

which of the following cells gives the red color to the blood

erythrocytes

inflammation of veins is termed

phlebitis

permanent damage to heart muscle d/t a blocked artery is termed

myocardial infarct

the medical technician who draws blood from a vein for laboratory tests is called an

phlebotomist

a physician determines that the heart murmur (abnormal heart sound) in a pt is caused by narrowing of a heart valve passageway

stenosis

a hemiangioma means

a tumor of blood vessels

pain associated w/ a reduced blood flow (ischemia) or myocardial infarct

angina pectoris

a general term for abnormalities of heart muscle of various causes, but not a myocardial infarct

cardiomyopathy

inflammation of heart muscle

myocarditis

cephal/o

head

* cephalgia (a headache)

encephal/o

inside the head (brain)

* encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
* anencephalic (born w/o a brain)

mening/o

membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord

* meningitis (inflammation of the membranes)

myel/o

spinal cord

* myelogram (x-ray of the spinal cord)

neur/o

nerve

* neuroma (tumor)
* neuritis (inflammation)

dys

difficult, painful, abnormal

* dyslexia (difficulty reading)

\-cele

hernia, abnormal protrusion of structure out of normal anatomical position

* meningomyelocele (protrusion of membranes and spinal cord)

\-pathy

disease, abnormality

* encephalopathy (dz of the brain), neuropathy (dz of the nerves)

\-plasia

development, formation, growth

* aplasia (no development)
* hyperplasia (overdevelopment)

\-plegia

paralysis

* hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body)
* quadriplegia (paralysis of all 4 limbs)

meningitis refers to

inflammation of the membranes around the brain

neuropathy is a term describing

noninflammatory disease of nerves

a meningomyelocele describes

herniation of both protective membranes and spinal cord