Clinical Diagnosis · Cardiovascular System · Medium
Arteritis
Meaning: Inflammation of the walls of the vessels carrying blood away from the heart, which can narrow them and reduce blood supply.
In practice: Giant cell arteritis was suspected in the elderly woman with scalp tenderness and jaw claudication.
Word parts
- -itis means inflammation
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related clinical diagnosis words.
Which word means: Twisting of a loop of bowel around itself, causing obstruction and possibly cutting off its blood supply.
Answer: Volvulus
Which word means: Excessive thirst leading to drinking large volumes of fluid, a classic symptom of diabetes.
Answer: Polydipsia
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