Lesson: Medical Terminology – Understanding Terms and Disorders of the Chest Cavity
Overview
This lesson will help you understand medical terms related to Disorders of the Chest Cavity. You'll learn the Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes that form these terms, making it easier to decipher medical vocabulary.
Disorders by Body Part
Chest (Thorax)
Thoracotomy
- Meaning: Opening of the chest
- Components: thorac- (chest) + -tomia (incision)
- Latin Equivalent: thoracis sectio
Pneumothorax
- Meaning: Air in the pleural cavity
- Components: pneum(at)- (air) + thorax (chest)
- Latin Equivalent: pneumatosis pleurae
Asphyxia
- Meaning: Strangling
- Components: asphyx- (strangling)
- Latin Equivalent: strangulatio
Heart (Cor)
Carditis (pancarditis)
- Meaning: Inflammation of the heart
- Components: card(io)- (heart) + -itis (inflammation)
- Latin Equivalent: cordis inflammatio
Endocarditis (sepsis lenta)
- Meaning: Infection of the inner lining of the heart
- Components: endo- (internal) + card(io)- (heart) + -itis (inflammation)
- Latin Equivalent: endocardii inflammatio
Cardiorrhexis
- Meaning: Rupture of the heart
- Components: card(io)- (heart) + -rrhexis (rupture)
- Latin Equivalent: cordis ruptura
Tachycardia
- Meaning: Increased heart rhythm
- Components: tachy- (fast) + card(io)- (heart)
- Latin Equivalent: tachycardia
Bradycardia
- Meaning: Slow heart rhythm
- Components: brady- (slow) + card(io)- (heart)
- Latin Equivalent: bradycardia
Stenocardia
- Meaning: Heart pang
- Components: sten(o)- (narrow) + card(io)- (heart)
- Latin Equivalent: stenocardia
Lungs (Pulmo)
Pulmonectomy (pneumonectomy)
- Meaning: Removal of a lung
- Components: pulm(on)- (lung) + -ectomia (surgical removal)
- Latin Equivalent: pulmonis excisio
Pulmology (pneumology)
- Meaning: Study of the lungs
- Components: pulm(on)- (lung) + -logia (study)
- Latin Equivalent: pulmonis studium
Pneumonia
- Meaning: Infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs
- Components: pneum(on)- (lung) + -ia (condition)
- Latin Equivalent: pneumonis inflammatio
Pneumonitis
- Meaning: Inflammation of the lung tissue
- Components: pneum(on)- (lung) + -itis (inflammation)
- Latin Equivalent: pulmonis inflammatio
Dyspnoea (dyspnoea)
- Meaning: Shortness of breath
- Components: dys- (difficult) + -pnoea (breathing)
- Latin Equivalent: dyspnoea
Orthopnoea (orthopnoea)
- Meaning: Difficulty breathing except in the upright position
- Components: orth(o)- (straight) + -pnoea (breathing)
- Latin Equivalent: orthopnoea
Pleura
Pleuritis
- Meaning: Inflammation of the pleura
- Components: pleur- (pleura) + -itis (inflammation)
- Latin Equivalent: pleurae inflammatio
Pleurisy (pleuritis)
- Meaning: Inflammation of the pleura
- Components: pleur- (pleura) + -itis (inflammation)
- Latin Equivalent: pleurae inflammatio
Bronchus
Bronchiectasis
- Meaning: Dilation of the bronchus
- Components: broncho- (bronchus) + -ectasis (dilation)
- Latin Equivalent: bronchi dilatatio
Bronchostenosis
- Meaning: Narrowing of the bronchus
- Components: broncho- (bronchus) + -stenosis (narrowing)
- Latin Equivalent: bronchi strictura
Bronchomycosis
- Meaning: Bronchial infection caused by a fungus
- Components: broncho- (bronchus) + mycosis (fungal infection)
- Latin Equivalent: bronchii infectio fungosa