What does the suffix -itis indicate in medical terms?

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Multiple Choice

What does the suffix -itis indicate in medical terms?

The suffix -itis indicates inflammation of a specific organ or tissue. In medical terms, the organ name comes first and -itis is added to show that that part is inflamed, such as gastritis (stomach inflammation) or dermatitis (skin inflammation). This suffix doesn’t by itself mean infection or cause; infections can cause inflammation, but -itis simply flags the inflammatory process. Other suffixes convey different ideas: -algia signals pain, and -edema refers to fluid buildup. So, recognizing -itis as signaling inflammation explains why the correct interpretation is inflammation.

The suffix -itis indicates inflammation of a specific organ or tissue. In medical terms, the organ name comes first and -itis is added to show that that part is inflamed, such as gastritis (stomach inflammation) or dermatitis (skin inflammation). This suffix doesn’t by itself mean infection or cause; infections can cause inflammation, but -itis simply flags the inflammatory process. Other suffixes convey different ideas: -algia signals pain, and -edema refers to fluid buildup. So, recognizing -itis as signaling inflammation explains why the correct interpretation is inflammation.

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