Suffixes
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
• To identify and define useful diagnostic and procedural suffixes
• To analyze, spell, and pronounce medical terms that contain diagnostic and procedural suffixes
Introduction
This chapter reviews the suffixes that you have learned in the first two chapters and also introduces new suffixes and medical terms. The combining forms used in the chapter are listed below. Refer to this list as you write the meanings of the terms in the Suffixes and Terminology section that follows (beginning on page 85). Be faithful about completing all of the Exercises (page 105), and remember to check your answers on page 112 and 113! These exercises will help you spell terms correctly and understand their meanings. Test yourself by completing the Pronunciation of Terms on pages 114 to 117 and Review (page 123 and 124) and. Remember the 3 “Rs”—wRite, Review, Repeat—and you will succeed!
COMBINING FORMSSuffixes and Terminology
Suffixes are divided into two groups: those that describe diagnoses and those that describe procedures.
DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES
Diagnostic suffixes describe disease conditions or their symptoms. Use the list of combining forms in the previous section to write the meaning of each term. You will find it helpful to check the meanings of the terms with the Mini-Dictionary: Glossary of Medical Terms, beginning on page 341.
| NOUN SUFFIX | MEANING | TERMINOLOGY | MEANING |
| -algia | condition of pain, pain | arthralgia ____________________ | |
| otalgia ____________________ | |||
| myalgia ____________________ | |||
| neuralgia ____________________ | |||
| -emia | blood condition | leukemia ____________________ | |
| Increase in numbers of leukocytes; cells are malignant (cancerous). | |||
septicemia  ____________________ | |||
| Blood infections result when pathogens enter the blood from a wound. | |||
| ischemia ____________________ | |||
| Figure 3-1 illustrates ischemia of heart muscle caused by blockage of a coronary (heart) artery. | |||
Septicemia and bacteremiaBacteremia is bacterial invasion of the blood without or without symptoms. Septicemia (sepsis), however, is a more serious bacteremia that moves rapidly and may be life-threatening.
| uremia ____________________ | ||
| Uremia occurs when the kidneys fail to function and urea (a waste material) accumulates in the blood. | ||
| -ia | condition | pneumonia ____________________ |
| The lung is inflamed, causing fluid and material to collect in the air sacs of the lung. See Figure 3-2. | ||
| -itis | inflammation | bronchitis ____________________ |
| Bronchial tubes are inflamed, with hypersecretion of mucus. | ||
| esophagitis ____________________ | ||
| laryngitis ____________________ | ||
| meningitis ____________________ | ||
| The meninges are membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. See Figure 3-3. | ||
| cystitis ____________________ | ||
| phlebitis ____________________ | ||
| colitis ____________________ | ||
| Table 3-1 lists other common inflammatory conditions with their meanings. |
Table 3-1
| appendicitis | Inflammation of the appendix (hangs from the colon in the lower right abdomen) |
| bursitis | Inflammation of a small sac of fluid (bursa) near a joint |
| cellulitis | Inflammation of soft tissue under the skin |
| dermatitis | Inflammation of the skin |
| endocarditis | Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocardium) |
| epiglottitis | Inflammation of the epiglottis (cartilage at the upper part of the windpipe) |
| gastritis | Inflammation of the stomach |
| hepatitis | Inflammation of the liver |
| myositis | Inflammation of muscle (MYOS/O means muscle) |
| nephritis | Inflammation of the kidney |
| osteomyelitis | Inflammation of bone and bone marrow |
| otitis | Inflammation of the ear |
| peritonitis | Inflammation of the peritoneum |
| pharyngitis | Inflammation of the throat |
| thrombophlebitis | Inflammation of a vein with formation of clots |
| -megaly | enlargement | cardiomegaly ____________________ |
| hepatomegaly ____________________ | ||
| -oma | tumor, mass | adenoma ____________________ |
| This is a benign (noncancerous) tumor. | ||
| adenocarcinoma ____________________ | ||
| Carcinomas are malignant (cancerous) tumors of epithelial (skin or lining) tissue in the body. Glands and the linings of internal organs are composed of epithelial tissue. See Figure 3-4. | ||
| myoma ____________________ | ||
| This is a benign tumor. Myomas commonly occur in the uterus and are known as fibroids. See Figure 3-5. | ||
| myosarcoma ____________________ | ||
| Sarcomas are cancerous tumors of connective (flesh) tissue. Muscle, bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, and fat are examples of connective tissues. See Table 3-2. | ||
| myeloma ____________________ | ||
| MYEL/O means bone marrow in this term. Also called multiple myeloma, this is a malignant tumor of cells (called plasma cells) in the bone marrow. See Table 3-3 for names of other malignant tumors that do not contain the combining forms CARCIN/O and SARC/O. |
Table 3-2
| chondrosarcoma | Cancer of cartilage tissue (CHONDR/O means cartilage) |
| fibrosarcoma | Cancer of fibrous tissue (FIBR/O means fibrous tissue) |
| leiomyosarcoma | Cancer of visceral (attached to internal organs) muscle (LEIOMY/O means visceral or “smooth” muscle) |
| liposarcoma | Cancer of fatty tissue (LIP/O means fat) |
| osteogenic sarcoma | Cancer of bone |
| rhabdomyosarcoma | Cancer of skeletal (attached to bones) muscle (RHABDOMY/O means skeletal muscle) |
Table 3-3
MALIGNANT TUMORS WHOSE NAMES DO NOT CONTAIN THE COMBINING FORMS CARCIN/O AND SARC/O
| hepatoma | Malignant tumor of the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma) |
| lymphoma | Malignant tumor of lymph nodes (previously called lymphosarcoma) |
| melanoma | Malignant tumor of pigmented (MELAN/O means black) cells in the skin |
| mesothelioma | Malignant tumor of pleural cells (membrane surrounding the lungs) |
| multiple myeloma | Malignant tumor of bone marrow cells |
| thymoma | Malignant tumor of the thymus gland (located in the mediastinum) |
| -osis | condition, abnormal condition | nephrosis ____________________ |
| necrosis ____________________ | ||
| erythrocytosis ____________________ | ||
| When -OSIS is used with blood cell words, it means a slight increase in numbers of cells. | ||
leukocytosis  ____________________ | ||
| -pathy | disease condition | encephalopathy ____________________ |
| Pronunciation is en-sef-ah-LOP-ah-the. | ||
cardiomyopathy  ____________________ | ||
| Pronunciation is kar-de-o-mi-OP-ah-the. | ||
| nephropathy ____________________ | ||
| Pronunciation is neh-FROP–ah-the. Table 3-4 lists other disease conditions. |
Table 3-4
| adenopathy | Disease condition of lymph nodes (“glands”); lymphadenopathy |
| adrenopathy | Disease condition of the adrenal glands |
| hepatopathy | Disease condition of the liver |
| lymphadenopathy | Disease condition of the lymph nodes (previously called glands) |
| myopathy | Disease condition of muscles |
| neuropathy | Disease condition of nerves |
| osteopathy | Disease condition of bones |
| retinopathy | Disease condition of the retina of the eye |
Leukocytosis versus leukemiaLeukocytosis—slight increase in normal white blood cells (WBCs)—is the body’s response to bacterial infection. Leukemia is a malignant condition marked by dramatic increase in cancerous WBCs.
Cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction
Cardiomyopathy is chronic (ongoing) disease of heart muscle with inflammation and weakness. A myocardial infarction (MI) is an area of heart muscle that has died as a result of ischemia. MI is also known as a heart attack.
| -rrhea | flow, discharge | rhinorrhea ____________________ |
| menorrhea ____________________ | ||
| Normal menstrual flow. | ||
| -rrhage or -rrhagia | excessive discharge of blood | hemorrhage ____________________ |
menorrhagia  ____________________ | ||
| Excessive bleeding during menstruation. | ||
| -sclerosis | hardening | arteriosclerosis ____________________ |
| Atherosclerosis is the most common type of arteriosclerosis. A fatty plaque (atheroma) collects on the lining of arteries. See Figure 3-6. | ||
| -uria | condition of urine | hematuria  ____________________ |
| Bleeding into the urinary tract can cause this sign of kidney disease or of disorders of the urinary and genital tracts |
All of the following adjective suffixes mean pertaining to and describe a part of the body, process, or condition. Don’t worry about which suffix (-al, -eal, -ar, -ary, or -ic) to use with a particular organ or root. Just identify the suffix as meaning “pertaining to” in each term.
| -al or -eal | pertaining to | peritoneal ____________________ |
| inguinal ____________________ | ||
| renal ____________________ | ||
| esophageal ____________________ | ||
| myocardial ____________________ | ||
| Don’t forget that a heart attack is a myocardial infarction (MI). An infarction is an area of dead tissue caused by ischemia (a condition in which blood supply is held back from a part of the body). |
Menorrhea and menorrhagiaMenorrhea is the normal discharge of blood and tissue from the lining of the uterus; menorrhagia is abnormally heavy or long menstrual periods. Chronic menorrhagia can result in anemia. Menorrhagia is a common complication of uterine myomas or fibroids.
Hematuria and uremiaHematuria is blood in the urine, whereas uremia is high levels of urea in the blood.
| -ar | pertaining to | vascular ____________________ |
| A cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a stroke. | ||
| -ary | pertaining to | axillary ____________________ |
| mammary ____________________ | ||
| pulmonary ____________________ | ||
| -ic | pertaining to | chronic ____________________ |
| Chronic conditions occur over a long period of time, as opposed to acute conditions, which are sharp, sudden, and brief. | ||
| pelvic ____________________ |
PROCEDURAL SUFFIXES
The following suffixes describe procedures used in patient care.
| SUFFIX | MEANING | TERMINOLOGY | MEANING |
| -centesis | surgical puncture to remove fluid | thoracentesis ____________________ | |
| This term is a shortened form of thoracocentesis. See Figure 3-7. | |||
| amniocentesis ____________________ | |||
| arthrocentesis ____________________ | |||
| See Figure 3-8. ____________________ | |||
| -ectomy | removal, resection, excision | tonsillectomy ____________________ | |
| Tonsils and adenoids are lymph tissue in the pharynx (throat). Lymph is composed of white blood cells that fight infection. See Figure 3-9. | |||
| hysterectomy ____________________ | |||
| In a total hysterectomy, the entire uterus, including the cervix, is removed. If only a portion of the uterus is removed, the procedure is a partial or subtotal hysterectomy. See Figure 3-10 on page 96. | |||
| oophorectomy ____________________ | |||
| Figure 3-11 shows a laparoscopic oophorectomy | |||
| salpingectomy ____________________ | |||
| cholecystectomy ____________________ | |||
| See Figure 3-12. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed whenever possible, instead of an open (more invasive) procedure. | |||
| mastectomy ____________________ | |||
| Table 3-5 lists additional resection procedures. | |||
Table 3-5
| adenectomy | Excision of a gland |
| adenoidectomy | Excision of the adenoids |
| appendectomy | Excision of the appendix |
| colectomy | Excision of the colon |
| gastrectomy | Excision of the stomach |
| laminectomy | Excision of a piece of backbone (lamina) to relieve pressure on nerves from a (herniating) disk |
| myomectomy | Excision of a muscle tumor (commonly a fibroid of the uterus) |
| pneumonectomy | Excision of lung tissue: total pneumonectomy (an entire lung) or lobectomy (a single lobe) |
| prostatectomy | Excision of the prostate gland |
| splenectomy | Excision of the spleen |
| -gram | record | myelogram ____________________ |
| MYEL/O means spinal cord in this term. Contrast material is injected into the membranes around the spinal cord (by lumbar puncture), and then x-ray pictures are taken of the spinal cord. This procedure is performed less frequently now that MRI is available. | ||
| mammogram ____________________ | ||
| See Figure 3-13. | ||
| -graphy | process of recording | electroencephalography ____________________ |
| mammography ____________________ | ||
| See Figure 3-14. |
| angiography ____________________ | ||
| Contrast material (such as iodine) is injected into an artery or vein, and x-ray images are taken. | ||
| -lysis | separation, breakdown, destruction | dialysis ____________________ |
| The root (LYS, meaning to loosen) in this term is embedded in the suffix (-LYSIS). Hemodialysis is the removal of blood for passage through (DIA means through or complete) a kidney machine to flter out waste materials, such as urea. Another form of dialysis is peritoneal dialysis. A special fluid is put into the peritoneum through a tube in the abdomen. The wastes seep into the fluid from the blood during a period of time. The fluid and wastes are then drained from the peritoneum. See Figure 3-15. |
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