Medical Terminology Chapters 5 & 6

Ingestion

Food material taken into mouth

Digestion

Food is broken down, mechanically and chemically, as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract

bucc/o

Cheek

cheil/o, labi/o

Lip

palat/o

Hard/Soft palate

uvul/o

Uvula

gloss/o, lingu/o

Tongue

tonsill/o

Tonsil

gingiv/o

Gums

dent/i, odont/o

Teeth

Anorexia

Lack of appetite

Ascites

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen

Borborygmus

Rumbling or gurgling noise produced by the movement of gas, fluid, or both in the GI tract

Constipation

Difficulty in passing stools

Diarrhea

Frequent passage of loose, watery stools

Dysphagia

Difficulty in swallowing

Eructation

Gas expelled from the stomach through the mouth

Flatus

Gas expelled through the anus

Hematochezia

Passage of fresh, bright red blood from the rectum

Jaundice (icterus)

Yellow-orange coloration of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood

Melena

Black, tarry stools; feces containing digested blood

Nausea

Unpleasant sensation in the stomach associated with a tendency to vomit

Steatorrhea

Fat in the feces; frothy, foul-smelling fecal matter

Aphthous stomatitis

Inflammation of the mouth with small, painful ulcers

Dental caries

Tooth decay

Herpetic stomatitis

Inflammation of the mouth by infection with the herpes virus

Oral leukoplakia

White plaques or patches

Periodontal disease

Inflammation and degeneration of the gums, teeth and surrounding bone

Achalasia

Failure of the lower esophagus sphincter (LES) muscle to relax

Esophageal cancer

Malignant tumor of the esophagus

Esophageal varices

Swollen, varicose veins at the lower end of the esophagus

Gastric carcinoma

Malignant tumor of the stomach

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Solids and fluids return to the mouth from the stomach

Peptic ulcer

Open sore or lesion of the mucous membrane of the stomach or duodenum

Hernia

Protrusion of an organ or part through the muscle normally containing it

Anal fistula

Abnormal tube-like passageway near the anus

Colonic polyposis

Polyps protrude from the mucous membrane of the colon

Colorectal cancer

Adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum or both

Crohn disease

Chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract

Diverticulosis

Abnormal side pockets (outpouchings) in the intestinal wall

Dysentery

Painful, inflamed intestines

Hemorrhoids

Swollen, twisted, varicose veins in the rectal region

Ileus

Failure of peristalsis with resulting obstruction of the intestines

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Inflammation of the colon and small intestine

Intussusception

Telescoping of the intestines

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Group of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with stress and tension

Ulcerative colitis

Chronic inflammation of the colon with the presence of ulcers

Volvulus

Twisting of the intestines on itself

Cirrhosis

Chronic degenerative disease of the liver

Pancreatic cancer

Malignant tumor of the pancreas

Pancreatitis

Inflammation of the pancreas

Viral hepatitis

Inflammation of the liver caused by a virus

Cholelithiasis

Gallstones in the gallbladder

-ectasis, -ectasia

Dilation, widening

-emesis

Vomiting

-pepsia

Digestion

-phagia

Eating, swallowing

-plasty

Surgical repair

-ptysis

Spitting

-rrhage, -rrhagia

Bursting forth (of blood)

-rrhaphy

Suture

-rrhea

Flow, discharge

-spasm

Involuntary contraction of muscles

-stasis

Stopping; controlling

-stenosis

Narrowing, tightening

-tresia

Opening

cec/o

Cecum

celi/o

Abdomen

chol/e

Gall, bile

cholangi/o

Bile duct (vessel)

cholecyst/o

Gallbladder

choledoch/o

Common bile duct

col/o, colon/o

Colon

duoden/o

Duodenum

enter/o

Intestines

esophag/o

Esophagus

gastr/o

Stomach

gluc/o, glyc/o

Sugar

hepat/o

Liver

herni/o

Hernia

ile/o

Ileum

jejun/o

Jejunum

lip/o, steat/o

Fat

lith/o

Stone

or/o, stomat/o

Mouth

pancreat/o

Pancreas

proct/o

Anus and rectum

pylor/o

Pyloric sphincter

rect/o

Rectum

sialaden/o

Salivary gland

splen/o

Spleen

Liver function tests (LFTs)

Tests for enzymes and bilirubin in blood

Stool culture

Test for microorganisms in stool

Stool guaiac test or Hemoccult test

Test to detect blood in feces

Lower gastrointestinal series (barium enema)

X-ray images of the colon and rectum after injection of barium into the anus

Upper gastrointestinal series

X-ray images of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine after swallowing barium

Cholangiography

X-ray examination of the biliary system after injection of contrast medium

Computed tomography (CT scan)

Diagnostic technique using X-rays to create cross-sectional images of the body

Abdominal ultrasonography

Sound waves are used to create images of abdominal organs

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)

Use of an endoscope combined with ultrasound to examine organs of the GI tract