Medical Terminology Simplified

244 CHAPTER 6• Digestive System

WORD ELEMENTS

This section introduces CFs related to the accessory organs of digestion. Included are key suf-

fixes; prefixes are defined in the right-hand column as needed. Review the following table and

pronounce each word in the word analysis column aloud before you begin to work the frames.

Word Elements Meaning Word Analysis

Combining Forms

cholangi/o bile vessel cholangi/ole (kō-LĂN-jē-ōl): small terminal portion of the bile duct

-ole: small, minute

chol/e* bile, gall chol/e/lith (kō-lē-LĬTH): gallstone

-lith: stone, calculus

cholecyst/o gallbladder cholecyst/ectomy (kō-lē-sĭs-TĔK-tō-mē): removal of the gallbladder by laparo-

scopic or open surgery

-ectomy: excision, removal

Cholecystectomy can be performed by open surgery or laparoscopically (placing a tube

into the abdomen).

choledoch/o bile duct choledoch/o/tomy (kō-lĕd-ō-KŎT-ō-mē): incision of the common bile duct

-tomy: incision

hepat/o liver hepat/itis (hĕp-ă-TĪ-tīs): inflammation of the liver

-itis: inflammation

pancreat/o pancreas pancreat/itis (păn-krē-ă-TĪ-tĭs): inflammation or infection of the pancreas

-itis: inflammation

Suffixes

-iasis abnormal chol/e/lith/iasis(kō-lē-lĭ-THĪ-ă-sĭs): presence or formation of gallstones

condition chol/e: bile, gall

(produced by lith/o: stone, calculus

something

specified)

-megaly enlargement hepat/o/megaly(hĕp-ă-tō-MĔG-ă-lē): enlargement of the liver

hepat/o: liver

Hepatomegaly may be caused by infection; fatty infiltration, as in alcoholism; biliary

obstruction; or malignancy.

-prandial meal post/prandial(pōst-PRĂN-dē-ăl): following a meal

post-: after, behind

Pronunciation Help Long sound a ̄in ra ̄te e ̄in re ̄birth ı ̄in ı ̄sle o ̄in o ̄ver u ̄in u ̄nite

Short sound a ̆in a ̆lone e ̆in e ̆ver ̆ıin ı ̆t o ̆in no ̆t u ̆in cu ̆t

*Using the combining vowel einstead of ois an exception to the rule.

Visit the Medical Terminology Simplifiedonline resource center at DavisPlus for an audio

exercise of the terms in this table. It will help you master pronunciations and meanings

of medical terms.