Medical Terms in the Media

Márcio Padilha
College of Southern Idaho
ALLH 101 – Nutsch
Spring/2010
Inguinal Hernias

INGUINAL HERNIAS are by far the most

common in adults.

(North Penn Hernia Institute, 2007)

01) Inguinal

in·gui·nal
(adj.)

Of, relating to, or located in the groin (inguin-).

02) Hernia
her·ni·a
(n.)

The protrusion of an organ or other bodily

structure through the wall that normally contains
it; a rupture.
Femoral Hernias

FEMORAL Hernias develop in the groin at or

very near the leg crease itself and are more prone
to develop incarceration and/or
STRANGULATION as an early complication.

(North Penn Hernia Institute, 2007)

03) Femoral
fem·o·ral
(adj.)

Of, relating to, or located in the thigh

(femur/femor-).
04) Strangulation
stran·gu·la·tion
(n)

Constriction of a tubular structure of the body that

prevents function or impedes circulation.
Incisional Hernias

INCISIONAL Hernias, also referred

to as VENTRAL Hernias, may occur in
the area of any prior surgical incision,
presenting a PROTRUSION at or near the area of
the prior surgical incision scar.

(North Penn Hernia Institute, 2007)

05) Incisional
in·ci·sional
(adj.)

a. Relating to a cut (-cise) into (in-) a body tissue

or organ, especially one made during surgery.

b. Relating to the scar resulting from such a cut.

06) Ventral
ven·tral
(adj.)

a. Relating to or situated on or close to the

abdomen (ventr-); abdominal.

b. Relating to or situated on or close to the anterior

aspect of the human body.
07) Protrusion
pro·tru·sion
(n.)

a. extension beyond the usual limits or above a

plane surface.

b. the state of being thrust forward or laterally.

Umbilical Hernias

Umbilical Hernias, and nearby hernias

called “Para-umbilical Hernias”, develop
in and around the area of the UMBILICUS
due to a congenital weakness in the naval
area where vessels of the fetal and infant umbilical
cord exited through the muscle
of the abdominal wall.

(North Penn Hernia Institute, 2007)

08) Para-
Para-
(pref.)

beside; near; resembling; accessory to; beyond;

apart from; abnormal (para-).
09) Umbilicus
um·bil·i·cus
(n.)

the navel; the scar marking the site of attachment

of the umbilical cord in the fetus.
10) Congenital
con·gen·i·tal
(adj.)

Of or relating to a condition that is present

at (con-) birth (-genitus), as a result of either
heredity or environmental influences.
11) Abdominal
ab·dom·i·nal
(adj.)

Of or relating to the region of the body of a

vertebrate that contains the viscera other than the
heart and lungs which, in mammals it is separated
from the thorax by the diaphragm.
Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory

bowel disease that causes chronic
inflammation of the digestive tract, is characterized
by abdominal pain and diarrhea.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

12) Ulcerative
ulcer·ative
(adj.)

Pertaining to a local defect, or excavation of the

surface, of an organ or tissue, produced by
sloughing of necrotic inflammatory tissue.
13) Colitis
co·li·tis
(n.)

Inflammation (-itis) of the colon (col-). Also

called colonitis.
Ulcerative Proctitis
Ulcerative proctitis is a form
of ulcerative colitis where the
inflammation is confined to the
rectum and for some people,
rectal bleeding may be the only
sign of the disease.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

14) Proctitis
proc·ti·tis
(n.)

Inflammation (-itis) of the rectum or anus

(proct-).
Proctosigmoiditis
Proctosigmoiditis is a form of Ulcerative
Colitis which involves the rectum and
the lower end of the colon with bloody
diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain
and tenesmus being common problems
associated with this form of the disease.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

15) Proctosigmoiditis
proc·to·sig·moid·i·tis
(n.)

Inflammation (-itis) of the sigmoid, i.e. the

S-shaped curve of the large intestine where
the colon joins the rectum, and the rectum
(procto-).
16) Tenesmus
te·nes·mus
(n.)

A painful spasm of the anal sphincter accompanied

by an urgent desire to evacuate the bowel or
bladder and involuntary straining that results in
the passing of little or no matter.
Pancolitis

Pancolitis affects the entire colon,

causing bouts of bloody diarrhea that may be
severe, abdominal cramps and pain,
fatigue, and significant weight loss.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

17) Pancolitis
pan·co·li·tis
(n)

Inflammation (-itis) of the entire (pan-) colon

(col-), which most commonly occurs in ulcerative
colitis.
Fulminant Colitis

Fulminant Colitis is a rare, life-threatening

form of colitis which affects the entire colon and
causes severe pain, profuse diarrhea and,
sometimes, dehydration and shock.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

18) Dehydration
de·hy·dra·tion
(n.)

a. The process (-tion) of removing (de-) water

(hydra-) from a substance or compound.

b. Excessive loss of water from the body or from an

organ or body part, as from illness or fluid deprivation.
Ulcerative Colitis
Some scientists think a virus or bacterium may
trigger ulcerative colitis. The digestive tract
becomes inflamed when your immune system tries
to fight off the invading pathogen. It's also
possible that inflammation may stem from an
autoimmune reaction in which your body
mounts an immune response even though no
pathogen is present.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

19) Pathogen
path·o·gen
(n.)

An agent (-gen/-gene) that causes disease

(patho-), especially a living microorganism such
as a bacterium or fungus.
20) Autoimmune
au·to·im·mune
(adj.)

Of or relating to an immune response by the body

against one of its own (auto-) tissues, cells, or
molecules.
Hepatic Cirrhosis

HEPATIC Cirrhosis occurs in response

to chronic damage to your liver.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

21) Hepatic
he·pat·ic
(adj.)

a. Of, relating to, resembling, acting on or

occurring in (-ic) the liver (hepato-/hepat-).
22) Cirrhosis
cir·rho·sis
(n.)

A chronic disease (-osis) of the liver which

sometimes causes the whites of the eyes and the
skin to turn yellow (cirrh-).
Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis, an
inherited condition, causes excess of iron
to be stored in your organs, especially
your liver, heart and pancreas.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008)

23) Hemochromatosis
he·mo·chro·ma·to·sis
(n.)

A disorder (-osis) that interferes with the body's

ability to break down iron and results in too much
iron being absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract
into the blood (hemo-) stream. Iron-rich blood is
redder in color (chrom-).
Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of

arthritis; causing pain, swelling and reduced
motion in your joints. It can occur in any
joint, but usually it affects your hands,
knees, hips or spine.

(MedlinePlus, 2010)
24) Osteoarthritis
os·te·o·ar·thri·tis
(n.)

An inflammation (-itis) of a joint (arthr-),

occurring mainly in older persons, that is
characterized by chronic degeneration of the
cartilage between the bones (osteo-).
Rhinopharyngeal Carcinoma

Rhinopharyngeal carcinoma is difficult to

detect early, probably because the nasopharnyx
isn't easy to examine and symptoms of
nasopharyngeal carcinoma mimic those of many
other conditions.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008)

25) Rhinopharyngeal
rhino·pha·rynge·al
(Adj.)

Pertaining to the cavity of the nose and the nasal

parts (rhino-) of the throat (pharyngeal).
26) Carcinoma
car·ci·no·ma
(n.)

An invasive cancerigenous (carcin-) tumor (-

oma)
27) Nasopharnyx
na·so·phar·ynx
(n.)

The part of the throat (pharynx) above the soft

palate that is continuous with the nasal
passages (naso-).
Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

Invasive LOBULAR carcinoma is a type of breast

cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands
and then invades surrounding tissues.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008)

28) Lobular
lobu·lar
(Adj.)

A more or less well-defined portion of (-ular) an

organ or gland (lobe-).
Cholecystitis

In many cases, cholecystitis is caused by

gallstones that block the tube leading out of your
gallbladder.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

29) Cholecystitis
cho·le·cys·ti·tis
(n.)

A painful inflammation (-itis) of the gall

(chole-) bladder (cysto-).
Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic condition that

affects an estimated 1 million Americans.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

30) Interstitial
in·ter·sti·tial
(Adj.)

Relating to or situated in the small, narrow spaces

between tissues or parts of an organ.
31) Cystitis
cys·ti·tis
(n.)

Inflammation (-itis) of the urinary bladder

(cysto-).
Prostatitis

Prostatitis, a disease of the prostate

gland, can cause inguinalgia,
dysuria and related symptoms.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

32) Prostatitis
pros·ta·ti·tis
(n.)

Inflammation (-itis)of the prostate gland

(prostat-).
33) Inguinalgia
in·gui·nal·gia
(n.)

Pain (-algia) in the groin (inguin-).

34) Dysuria
dys·u·ri·a
(n.)

Difficult or painful (dys-) urination (-uria).

Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis occurs when one or more

diverticula in your digestive tract become
inflamed or infected. Diverticula are common,
especially after age 40. When you have diverticula,
the condition is known as diverticulosis.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

35) Diverticulitis
di·ver·tic·u·li·tis
(n.)

Inflammation (-itis) of the small pockets in

the wall of the colon (diverticulum-) that fill
with stagnant fecal material and become inflamed.
36) Diverticulosis
di·ver·tic·u·lo·sis
(n.)

A condition (-osis) characterized by the presence

of numerous small pockets in the wall of
the colon (diverticulum-) in the colon.
Enuresis

Enuresis isn't a sign of toilet

training gone bad.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

37) Enuresis
en·u·re·sis
(n.)

The uncontrolled or involuntary discharge of urine.

Flatulence

Flatulence can occur in the stomach

and upper intestine if you swallow air while
eating, drinking or chewing gum.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008)

38) Flatulence
flat·u·lence
(n.)

The presence of excessive gas (flatus) in the

digestive tract.
Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted bacterium

that can infect men and women. Gonorrhea can
affect the urethra, rectum and throat of both men
and women.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010)

39) Gonorrhea
gon·or·rhe·a
(n.)

A sexually (gono-) transmitted disease

characterized by an acute purulent discharge
(-rrhea) and painful or difficult urination.
Menorrhagia

Although heavy menstrual bleeding is a common

concern among premenopausal women, few
women experience blood loss severe enough to be
defined as menorrhagia.

(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009)

40) Menorrhagia
men·or·rha·gi·a
(n.)

Abnormally heavy or extended menstrual

(meno-) flow (-rrhagia).
Bibliography
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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/osteoarthritis.html
Farlex, Inc. (2010). Free Medical Dictionary. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from Enclyclopedia, Dictionary
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Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008, 09 12). Hemochromatosis: MayoClinic.com. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from
MayoClinic.com: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hemochromatosis/DS00455
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008, 08 20). Intestinal Gas. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
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Bibliography (cont’d)
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 10 13). Bed Wetting. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bed-wetting/DS00611
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 09 04). Cholecystitis. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholecystitis/DS01153
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 01 23). Cirrhosis: MayoClinic.com. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from
MayoClinic.com: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cirrhosis/DS00373
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 05 31). Diverticulitis. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diverticulitis/DS00070
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 01 20). Interstitial Cystitis. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interstitial-cystitis/DS00497
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 06 25). Menorrhagia. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menorrhagia/DS00394
Bibliography (cont’d)
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 03 31). Prostatitis. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prostatitis/DS00341
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 08 15). Ulcerative Colitis: Causes. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from
MayioClinic.com: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ulcerative-
colitis/DS00598/DSECTION=causes

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 08 15). Ulcerative Colitis. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ulcerative-colitis/DS00598

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, 08 15). Ulcerative Colitis: Symptoms. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from
MayoClinic.com: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ulcerative-
colitis/DS00598/DSECTION=symptoms
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010, 01 10). Gonorrhea. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gonorrhea/DS00180

North Penn Hernia Institute. (2007). Femoral Hernias. Retrieved 02 2010, 19, from North Penn
Hernia Institute: http://hernia.tripod.com/femoral2.html
Bibliography (cont’d)
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010, 01 10). Gonorrhea. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from MayoClinic.com:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gonorrhea/DS00180
North Penn Hernia Institute. (2007). Femoral Hernias. Retrieved 02 2010, 19, from North Penn
Hernia Institute: http://hernia.tripod.com/femoral2.html
North Penn Hernia Institute. (2007). Incisional Hernia. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from North Penn
Hernia Institute: http://hernia.tripod.com/incisional2.html
North Penn Hernia Institute. (2007). Inguinal Hernia. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from North Penn
Hernia Institute: http://hernia.tripod.com/inguinal2.html
North Penn Hernia Institute. (2007). Umbilical Hernia. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from North Penn
Hernia Institute: http://hernia.tripod.com/umbilical2.html