Suffixes
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
UNIT THREE
 COMBINING FORMS:
Combining Form
Aden/o
Amni/o
Angi/o
Arteri/o
Arthr/o
Ather/o
Axill/o
Bronch/o
Bronchi/o
Carcin/o
Meaning
Gland
Amnion (sac of fluid surrounding the
embryo
Vessel (blood vessel)
Artery
Joint
Plaque (a yellow, fatty material)
Armpit (under arm)
Bronchial tube
Cancerous
 COMBINING FORMS:
Combining Form
Meaning
Cardi/o
Chem/o
Cholecyst/o
Chron/o
Col/o
Crani/o
Cry/o
Heart
Drug or chemical
Gallbladder
Time
Colon (large intestine or bowel)
Skull
Cold
Cyst/o
Urinary bladder, sac of fluid
 COMBINING FORMS:
Combining Form
Electr/o
Encephal/o
Erythr/o
Esophag/o
Hem/o
Hemat/o
Hepat/o
Meaning
Electricity
Brain
Red
Esophagus (tube leading from the throat to the
stomach)
Blood
Liver
 COMBINING FORMS:
Combining Form
Mening/o
My/o
Myel/o
Necr/o
Nephr/o
Neur/o
Oophor/o
Oste/o
Meaning
Meninges
Muscle
Spinal cord, bone marrow
Death
Kidney
Nerve
Ovary
Bone
 COMBINING FORMS:
Combining Form
Ot/o
Pelv/o
Peritone/o
Phleb/o
Pneumon/o
Radi/o
Meaning
Ear
Hip area
Peritoneum
Vein
Lung
x-rays
 COMBINING FORMS:
Combining
Form
Ren/o
Rhin/o
Salping/o
Sarc/o
Septic/o
Meaning
Kidney (-al, -gram)
Nose
Fallobian tubes
Flesh
Pertaining to infection
 COMBINING FORMS:
Combining Form
Thorac/o
Tonsil/o
Trache/o
Ur/o
Vascul/o
Meaning
Chest
Tonsil
Windpipe, trachea
Urine, urea, urinary tract
Blood vessel

Suffixes and Terminology:
o
Suffixes are divided into two groups:
1.
Diagnostic Suffixes:

2.
Describe diagnoses; they describe disease conditions or their
symptoms.
Procedural Suffixes:

Describe procedures used in patient care.
 DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES:
Noun
Suffix
Meaning
-algia
Pain
-emia
Blood
condition
Medical Term
Arthralgia
Otalgia
Myalgia
Neuralgia
Leukemia
Septicemia
Ischemia
Uremia
Meaning
pain of joints
pain of ear
pain of muscle
pain of nerve
blood cancer
blood infection
holding back blood
presence of urine in
blood
 DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES:
Noun
Suffix
-ia
Meaning
Medical Term
Condition, disease Pneumonia
Bronchitis
-itis
Inflammation
Esophagitis
Laryngitis
Meningitis
Cystitis
-itis
Inflammation
Phlebitis
Meaning
disease condition of
lungs
inflammation
of
bronchial tubes
inflammation
of
esophagus
inflammation of larynx
inflammation
of
meninges
inflammation of urinary
bladder
of vein
 DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES:
Noun
Suffix
Meaning
-megaly enlargement
Medical Term
Cardiomegaly
hapatomegaly
Adenoma
Adenocarcinoma
-oma
Tumor, mass
Myoma
Myosarcoma
Meaning
enlargement
of heart
of liver
tumor of
gland
cancerous
tumor
of
gland
tumor of
muscle
cancerous
tumor
of
 DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES:
Noun
Suffix
Meaning
Medical Term
Encephalopathy
Cardiomyopathy
Nephropathy
Rhinorrhea
-pathy
Disease
-rrhea
Flow, discharge
Menorrhea
-rrhage or
-rrhagia
Hemorrhage
Bursting
blood
-sclerosis hardening
forth
of
menorrhagia
Arteriosclerosis
Meaning
Of brain
of heart muscle
of kidney
flow of nose
normal flow of
mensuration
excessive
bleeding
excessive
bleeding
of
mensuration
hardening of
 DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES:
Noun
Suffix
Meaning
-al or –eal Pertaining to
-al or –eal Pertaining to
-ar
Pertaining to
-ary
Pertaining to
-ic
Pertaining to
Medical Term
Peritoneal
Inguinal
Renal
esophageal
Myocardial
Vascular
Axillary
Mammary
Pulmonary
Chronic
Pelvic
Meaning
to peritoneum
to groin
to kidney
to esophagus
to heart muscle
to blood vesseles
to armpit
to breast
to lung
to time
to pelvis or hip
 PROCEDURAL SUFFIXES:
Suffix
-centesis
Meaning
Medical Term
Surgical
Thoracentesis
puncture
to Amniocentesis
remove fluid
Arthrocentesis
Tonsillectomy
Hysterectomy
Oophorectomy
-ectomy
removal
-gram
record
Process
recording
-graphy
Meaning
from chest
amnion
joints
of tonsils
of uterus
of ovary
of fallopian
Salpingectomy
tube
of
gall
Cholecystectomy
bladder
Mastectomy
of breast
Myelogram
of spinal cord
of
electricity in
Electroencephalography
brain
 PROCEDURAL SUFFIXES:
Suffix
Meaning
Medical Term
of Mammography
-graphy
Process
recording
-lysis
Separation,
breakdown,
destruction
-plasty
Surgical repair Mammoplasty
or
surgical Rhinoplasty
correction
Angioplasty
-scopy
Process
of Bronchoscopy
visual
Laparoscopy
examination
Laryngoscopy
Angiography
Dialysis
Hemodialysis
Peritoneal dialysis
Meaning
 PROCEDURAL SUFFIXES:
Suffix
-stomy
Meaning
opening
Medical Term
Colostomy
Tracheostomy
Radiotherapy
-therapy
treatment
Chemotherapy
Cryotherapy
Craniotomy
Meaning
in colon or
large
intestine
in trachea
treatment by
radiation
by
chemicals or
drugs
by cold
into skull
 INFLAMMATIONS:
Medical
Term
Appendicitis
bursitis
cellulitis
dermatitis
Meaning
inflammation of the appendix
Inflammation of a small sac of fluid (bursa) near a joint
Inflammation of soft tissue under the skin
Inflammation of the skin
Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
endocarditis
(endocardium)
Inflammation of the epiglottis (cartilage at the upper part
epiglottitis
of the windpipe)
gastritis
Inflammation of the stomach
 INFLAMMATIONS:
Medical Term
hepatitis
myositis
nephritis
osteomyelitis
Otitis
pharyngitis
thrombophlebit
is
Meaning
Inflammation of the liver
Inflammation of muscle.
Inflammation of the kidney
Inflammation of bone and bone marrow
Inflammation of the ear
Inflammation of the throat
Inflammation of a vein with formation of clots.
 SARCOMAS:
Sarcoma
Meaning
chondrosarcoma
Cancer of cartilage tissue.
fibrosarcoma
Cancer of fibrous tissue
leiomyosarcoma
Cancer of visceral muscle
osteosarcoma
Cancer of bone
rhabdomyosarcoma
Cancer of skeletal muscle
 MALIGNANT TUMORS WHOSE NAMES DO NOT
CONTAIN THE COMBINING FORMS CARCIN/O AND
SARC/O:
Tumor
Meaning
Hepatoma
Malignant tumor of the liver
Lymphoma
Malignant tumor of lymph nodes
mesothelioma
Malignant tumor of pleural cell.
Multiple myeloma
Thymoma
Malignant tumor of bone marrow
cells
Malignant tumor of the thymus gland
 DISEASE CONDITIONS (-PATHIES)
Disease
Meaning
Adrenopathy
Disease condition of adrenal gland
Hepatopathy
Disease condition of the liver
lymphadenopathy
Disease condition of the lymph nodes
Myopathy
Disease condition of muscles
Neuropathy
Disease condition of nerves
Osteopathy
Disease condition of bones
Retinopathy
Disease condition of the retina of the eye
 RESECTIONS (-ECTOMY):
Term
adenectomy
adenoidectomy
appendectomy
colectomy
gastrectomy
laminectomy
myomectomy
pneumonectomy
splenectomy
Meaning
Excision of a gland
Excision of the adenoids.
Excision of the appendix
Excision of the colon
Excision of the stomach
Excision of a piece of backbone
Excision of a muscle tumor
Excision of lung tissue
Excision of the spleen