Medical Terminology: Suffixes Signifying Medical Conditions

Vocabulary flashcards covering pathological suffixes, their meanings, and clinical examples for Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) application.

Medical Conditions

Structural anomalies, functional disorders, disruptions, or injuries that directly impact human health.

Role of Suffixes

Serve as the core diagnostic engine of medical terminology, shifting a general anatomical root word into a concrete, highly specific medical disease or condition.

-algia, -dynia

pain

arthralgia, arthrodynia

pain in a joint

-cele

protrusion, hernia

rectocele

hernia of the rectum

-cyte

cell

leukocyte

white blood cell

-ectasis, -ectasia

expansion or dilation

angiectasis

dilation of a vessel

-edema

excessive fluid buildup causing swelling

angioedema

fluid buildup causing swelling under skin

-emesis

vomiting

hematemesis

vomiting of blood

-emia

blood condition

uremia

urea in the blood

-iasis

condition or state

cholelithiasis

stones in the gallbladder or bile ducts

-ism

a condition of, a process, or a state of

hypothyroidism

condition characterized by thyroid hormone deficiency

-itis

inflammation

appendicitis

inflammation of the appendix

-lith

stone, calculus, calcification

pneumolith

a stone in the lung

-lysis

disintegration, breaking down

hemolysis

rupture of red blood cells

-malacia

softening

osteomalacia

softening of the bones

-megaly

enlargement

gastromegaly

enlargement of the stomach

-oid

resembling or like

opioid

substance that resembles opium

-oma

tumor

gastroma

tumor of the stomach

-osis

abnormal condition

osteoporosis

condition of porous bones

-pathy

disease

myopathy

disease of the muscle

-penia

reduction of size or quantity

leukopenia

low number of white blood cells

-phobia

fear

carcinophobia

fear of cancer

-plasia

abnormal formation

neoplastic

abnormal growth of cells

-plegia

paralysis

hemiplegia

paralysis on one side of the body

-pnea

breathing

tachypnea

rapid breathing

-poiesis

producing

erythropoiesis

production of red blood cells

-porosis

porous condition

-ptosis

downward displacement

nephroptosis

downward displacement of a kidney

-rrhage

flowing forth

hemorrhage

significant discharge of blood from blood vessels

-rrhea

discharge

rhinorrhea

discharge from the nose (runny nose)

-rrhexis

rupture

hysterorrhexis

rupture of the uterus

-sclerosis

hardness

atherosclerosis

hardening of the arteries

-spasm

muscular contraction

angiospasm

muscular contraction of a vessel

-stasis

level, unchanging

thermostasis

a constant, consistent internal body temperature

-stenosis

a narrowing

arteriostenosis

narrowed arteries