Clinical Diagnosis · Digestive System · Hard
Pneumoperitoneum
Meaning: The presence of free air within the abdominal cavity, usually indicating a perforated bowel.
In practice: An erect chest X-ray showed pneumoperitoneum with air under the diaphragm.
Word parts
- pneumo- means lung or air
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: Congenital narrowing of the aorta, usually near where the ductus arteriosus attached.
Answer: Coarctation
Which word means: An abnormally low level of sodium in the blood, which can cause confusion, seizures and falls.
Answer: Hyponatraemia
Words like pneumoperitoneum come up in the daily game
One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.