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Medical Suffixes

25 suffixes explained with examples

Medical suffixes are word endings that tell you what is happening — whether it is inflammation, a surgical procedure, a disease, or a diagnostic test. Once you know what a suffix means, you can decode hundreds of medical terms you have never seen before.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Painmyalgia, neuralgia, fibromyalgia

C

Puncture to withdraw fluidamniocentesis, thoracentesis, paracentesis

D

Painpleurodynia, vulvodynia, coccydynia

E

Surgical removalappendectomy, tonsillectomy, mastectomy

Blood conditionanemia, leukemia, bacteremia

G

Record or imageelectrocardiogram, mammogram, angiogram

Process of recording or imagingmammography, radiography, echocardiography

Origin or productionpathogenesis, carcinogenesis, osteogenesis

I

Inflammationappendicitis, arthritis, gastritis

L

Study ofcardiology, neurology, dermatology

M

Abnormal enlargementcardiomegaly, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly

O

Condition or abnormal processfibrosis, psychosis, thrombosis

Surgical incisionlaparotomy, craniotomy, tracheotomy

Tumor or masscarcinoma, melanoma, fibroma

P

Surgical repair or reconstructionrhinoplasty, angioplasty, arthroplasty

Disease ofneuropathy, cardiomyopathy, retinopathy

Surgical fixationorchiopexy, mastopexy, nephropexy

Fear or aversionclaustrophobia, arachnophobia, agoraphobia

R

Flow or dischargediarrhea, rhinorrhea, gonorrhea

Excessive flow or bleedinghemorrhage, menorrhagia, gastrorrhagia

S

Visual examination using a scopecolonoscopy, endoscopy, bronchoscopy

Surgical creation of an openingcolostomy, ileostomy, tracheostomy

Narrowing of a passageaortic stenosis, spinal stenosis, pyloric stenosis

Instrument used for visual examinationendoscope, laparoscope, bronchoscope

U

Condition of the urinehematuria, proteinuria, glucosuria

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