Urology and Nephrology Medical Terminology

Combining Forms

• albumin/o: albumin (a protein)

• azot/o: nitrogen

• bacteri/o: bacteria

• calcul/o: stone

• cali/o: calyx

• cyst/o: cyst; fluid sac; bladder

• glomerul/o: glomerulus

• glyc/o, glycos/o: sugar; glucose

• lith/o: stone; calculus

• meat/o: meatus

• nephr/o: kidney

• noct/o: night

• olig/o: scanty (very small)

• peritone/o: peritoneum

• py/o: pus

• pyel/o: renal pelvis

• ren/o: kidney

• trigon/o: trigone (region of bladder)

• ur/o: urine; urinary tract

• ureter/o: ureter

• urethr/o: urethra

• urin/o: urine

• vesic/o: urinary bladder

Suffixes

• -al, -ary, -eal, -ic, -ous: pertaining to

• -cele: hernia; swelling; protrusion

• -e: (noun suffix with no meaning)

• -gram: record; image

• -iasis: abnormal condition

• -lysis: breakdown; separation; loosening

• -pexy: surgical fixation

• -poietin: substance that forms

• -sclerosis: hardening; thickening

• -stitial: pertaining to standing or positioned

• -tripsy: crushing

• -uria: urination; condition of urine

• -us: structure; tissue; thing

Prefixes

• a-, an-: not; without

• dia-: complete; through

• dys-: painful; difficult

• hyper-: above; above normal; excessive

• inter-: between

• poly-: many; much

Common Medical Abbreviations

• ADH: antidiuretic hormone

• ARF: acute renal failure

• BUN: blood urea nitrogen

• CAT: computerized axial tomography

• CATH: catheter

• CRF: chronic renal failure

• CT: computerized tomography; computed tomography

• CYSTO: cystoscopy; cystoscopic examination

• DI: diabetes insipidus

• DM: diabetes mellitus

• GFR: glomerular filtration rate

• IC: interstitial cystitis

• IVP: intravenous pyelogram

• KUB: kidney, ureters, bladder

• NEG: negative

• PH: degree of acidity or alkalinity

• PKD: polycystic kidney disease

• PKU: phenylketonuria

• sp gr: specific gravity

• UA: urinalysis

• UTI: urinary tract infection

• VCUG: voiding cystourethrogram