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The following table consists of suffixes
showing disease or change in the body.
Suffix
|
Meaning
|
Example
|
-algia |
pain |
talalgia
ankle |
-cele |
hernia |
gastrocele
stomach |
-dynia |
pain,
swelling |
urodynia
urine |
-ectasis |
dilation,
expansion |
bronchiolectasis
bronchus |
-(a)emia
|
blood |
leuk(a)emia
white |
-gen |
producing,
beginning |
carcinogen
cancer |
-iasis |
abnormal
condition, formation of, presence of |
cholelithiasis
gall stone |
-itis
|
inflammation
|
hepatitis
stomach |
-malacia
|
softening |
osteomalacia
bone |
-megaly
|
enlargement |
splenomegaly
spleen |
-oid |
resemble |
fibroid
fibres |
-oma
|
tumour |
adenoma
gland |
-osis |
abnormal
condition, |
dermatosis
skin |
-pathy
|
disease
|
nephropathy
kidney |
-penia
|
decrease,
deficiency |
erthyropenia
red (cell) |
-phagia
|
eating,
swallowing |
dysphagia
difficult |
-phasia
|
speech
|
aphasia
without |
-plegia
|
paralysis,
stroke |
hemiplegia
half |
-phobia
|
fear
|
acrophobia
heights |
-ptosis
|
prolapse,
falling
dropping |
blepharoptosis
eyelid |
-rrhage |
burst
forth |
haemorrhage
blood |
-rrhea
|
discharge,
flow of watery stools |
diarrhea
|
-rrhexis
|
rupture |
enterorrhexis
intestines |
-sclerosis
|
hardening
|
artheriosclerosis
joints |
-spasm
|
involuntary
contraction,
twitching |
bronchospasm
bronchus |
Suffixes used for diagnoses
Suffix
|
Meaning
|
Example
|
-gram |
record
of data |
encephalogram
brain |
-graph |
instrument
for recording |
cardiograph
heart |
-graphy
|
act
of recording data |
radiography |
-meter
|
instrument
for measuring |
craniometer
cranium |
-metry |
measurement
of |
audiometry
audio (hearing) |
-scope
|
instrument
for viewing |
laryngoscope
larynx |
-scopy |
examination
of |
laparoscopy
abdomen |
Adapted from :
Cohen, B. J. (1998). Medical terminology; An illustrated guide. Philadelphia:
Lippincott-Raven Publishers.
Gyls, B.A. & Wedding, M.E. (1983). Medical Terminology: A Systems Approach.
Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
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