Medical Terminology: Skin, Body Structure, and Directions

Common Skin Conditions and Lesions

  • Acne: Inflammation of the hair follicles and glands.
  • Abscess: A collection of pus.
  • Psoriasis: A chronic skin condition.
  • Cellulitis: A bacterial skin infection.
  • Impetigo: A contagious bacterial skin disease that causes infection.
  • Urticaria (Hives): Characterized by red, scaly plaques.
  • Vitiligo: Loss of skin pigment.
  • Herpes (Ohm-Herpes): A viral infection causing blisters.
  • Eczema: An inflammatory skin condition causing itching.
  • Rosacea: Chronic facial redness.
  • Scabies: A skin infection caused by mites.
  • Tinea (P.HO): A fungal infection, also known as ringworm.
  • Macule: Red spots.
  • Papule: Raised and red spots.
  • Nodule: Sold bumps.
  • Vesicle: Small blister.
  • Pustule: Pus-filled lesion.
  • Wheal: Hives.
  • Ulcer: Open sone.
  • Cyst: A fluid-filled sac.
  • Nevus: A mole.
  • Josie Verruca: A wart.

Integumentary System Combining Forms, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Combining Forms

  • Scler/o: Hard
  • Hidr/o: Sweat
  • Seb/o: Oil, sebum
  • Kerat/o: Hard tissue
  • Staphyl/o: Grape-like cluster
  • Crypt/o: Hidden
  • Myc/o: Fungus
  • Strept/o: Chains
  • Rhytid/o: Wrinkle
  • Cutane/o: Skin
  • Onych/o: Nail
  • Ungul/o: Nail
  • Trich/o: Hair
  • Derm/o: Skin
  • Dermato/o: Skin
  • Pachy/o: Thick
  • Phag/o: Eat, swallow
  • Xer/o: Dry

Prefixes

  • Epi-: Upon
  • Intra-: Within
  • Para-: Beside
  • Per-: Through
  • Sub-: Below
  • Trans-: Across

Suffixes

  • -coccus: Spherical bacteria
  • -ectomy: Surgical removal
  • -ia: Condition
  • -itis: Inflammation
  • -malacia: Softening
  • -phagia: Eating
  • -plasty: Surgical repair
  • -rrhea: Discharge, flow

Clinical Diseases, Disorders, and Specialized Terms

  • Dermatitis: Skin inflammation.
  • Dermatofibroma: Benign skin tumor.
  • Hydradenitis: Inflammation of the sweat gland.
  • Keratosis: Thickened skin growth.
  • Onychocryptosis: Ingrown nail.
  • Onychmalacia: Softening of the nail.
  • Onychophagia: Nail biting.
  • Pachyderma: Thick skin.
  • Paronychia: Condition around the nail.
  • Scleroderma: Hardening of the skin.
  • Seborrhea: Excessive oily discharge.
  • Xanthoma: Yellow tumor.
  • Xeroderma: Dry skin.
  • Xerosis: Dry skin.
  • Leukoderma: White skin.
  • Erythroderma: Red skin.
  • Dermatologist: Skin specialist.
  • Dermatology: The study of skin.
  • Epidermal: Pertaining to the outer skin layer.
  • Hypodermic: Below the skin.
  • Dermatoplasty: Surgical repair of the skin.
  • Rhytidectomy: Surgical removal of a wrinkle.
  • Intradermal: Within the skin.
  • Subcutaneous: Under the skin.
  • Transdermal (TD): Through the skin.

Fundamental Medical Terminology and General Suffixes/Prefixes

Abbreviations

  • DxDx: Diagnosis
  • TxTx: Treatment
  • RxRx: Prescription
  • PxPx: Prognosis
  • HxHx: History
  • BxBx: Biopsy
  • CBCCBC: Complete blood count; measures red blood, white blood, and platelets.
  • C&SC\&S: Culture and sensitivity.
  • MRIMRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.
  • CTCT: Computed tomography.

Prefixes

  • Hyper-: Above normal; excessive.
  • Hypo-: Below normal; deficient.
  • Dys-: Abnormal.
  • Micro-: Small.
  • Meta-: Beyond.
  • Neo-: New.
  • Pro-: Before.

Color Combining Forms

  • Cyan/o: Blue
  • Erythr/o: Red
  • Leuk/o: White
  • Melan/o: Black
  • Xanth/o: Yellow

Word Roots

  • Cardi/o: Heart
  • Neur/o: Nerve
  • Gastr/o: Stomach
  • Cyte/o: Cell

Suffixes

  • -itis: Inflammation.
  • -oma: Tumor.
  • -logy: Study of.
  • -ectomy: Removal.
  • -gen / -genic: Producing.
  • -stasis: Stopping.
  • -osis: Abnormal condition.
  • -pathy: Disease.

Body Structure and Pathology Terms

  • Aden/o: Gland
  • Organ/o: Organ
  • Cyt/o: Cell
  • Somato: Body
  • Hist/o: Tissue
  • Viscer/o: Internal organs
  • My/o: Muscle
  • Neur/o: Nerve
  • Plasia: Growth

Clinical Pathology Terms

  • Dysplasia: Abnormal growth.
  • Necrosis: Death of tissue.
  • Benign: Non-cancerous.
  • Malignant: Cancerous and spreads.
  • Neoplasm: New growth.
  • Carcinoma: Cancer.
  • Sarcoma: Tumor of flesh.
  • Metastasis: Spread of cancer.
  • Palliative: Relieves but does not cure.
  • Carcinoma in situ: Cancer that stays in place.
  • Remission: Disappearance of symptoms.
  • Febrile: Has a fever.
  • Afebrile: No fever.
  • Acute: Short-term duration.
  • Chronic: Long-term duration.
  • Exacerbation: Symptoms get worse.
  • Biopsy (Bx): Removal of tissue from a living patient.
  • Autopsy: Examination after death.

Anatomical Directions, Movement, and Imaging

Directional Combining Forms

  • Anter/o: Front
  • Postero-: Back
  • Dors/o: Back
  • Ventri/o: Belly / Front
  • Medi/o: Middle
  • Dist/o: Far
  • Cephal/o: Head
  • Caud/o: Tail
  • Super/o: Above
  • Infer/o: Below; toward feet
  • Later/o: Side
  • Proxim/o: Near

Directional Terms

  • Superior: Toward the head.
  • Inferior: Below.
  • Posterior: Back.
  • Medial: Toward the middle.
  • Lateral: Away from the middle.
  • Anterior: Front.
  • Proximal: Closer from a point.
  • Distal: Farther from a point.
  • Anteroposterior (AP): Pertaining to front to back.
  • Posteroanterior (PA): Pertaining to back to front.

Diagnostic Imaging

  • Radi/o: X-ray
  • Soni/o: Sound
  • Tomi/o: Slice, section
  • Fluoroscopy: Moving X-ray image.
  • Nuclear Medicine: Use of radioactive tracers.
  • CT Scan: Computed tomography.
  • MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Abdominopelvic Quadrants

  • RUQ (Right Upper Quadrant): Contains the liver and gallbladder.
  • LUQ (Left Upper Quadrant): Contains the stomach and spleen.
  • RLQ (Right Lower Quadrant): Contains the appendix.
  • LLQ (Left Lower Quadrant): Contains the descending colon.