urology and nephrology vocabulary

Question 1

antibiotic
anti- = against
bi/o = life
-tic = pertaining to

Answer 1

medication used to treat bacterial infections

Question 2

benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
prostat/o = prostate
-ic = pertaining to
hyper- = excessive
-plasia = formation of cells

Answer 2

noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland; condition places pressure on the urethra and narrows it, resulting in frequency, urgency, and nocturia; commonly seen in males over the age of 50

Question 3

blood urea nitrogen (BUN)

Answer 3

blood test to determine kidney function by measuring the level of nitrogenous waste (or urea) in the blood

Question 4

calculus (plural calculi)

Answer 4

term for “stone formed within organ”; most solidfy from mineral salts; commonly found in the kidney, renal pelvis, ureters, bladder, or urethra

Question 5

chlamydia

Answer 5

bacterial sexually transmitted disease; causes inflammation of the urethra of males or the cervix of females, with purulent discharge

Question 6

circumcision

Answer 6

surgical removal of the prepuce/foreskin from the glans penis; commonly performed on newborn male at the request of parents; primary reason is for ease of hygiene; also a ritual practiced in some religions

Question 7

clean catch specimen

Answer 7

procedure for obtaining a urine sample after cleaning off the urethral meatus and catching urine in midstream (halfway through the urination process) to minimize contamination from the skin

Question 8

digital rectal exam (DRE)
rect/o = rectum
-al = pertaining to

Answer 8

direct examination for the presence of an enlarged prostate gland performed by palpating (feeling) the prostate gland with a finger (digital) through the wall of the rectum

Question 9

diuresis

Answer 9

increased formation and secretion of urine

Question 10

prostatic cancer
prostat/o = prostate
-ic = pertaining to

Answer 10

common and slow-growing cancer of the prostate gland occurring in males over age 50; prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is used to assist in early detection

Question 11

renal failure
ren/o = kidney
-al = pertaining to

Answer 11

inability of the kidneys to filter wastes from the blood and/or produce urine; treatment of severe renal failure is dialysis or renal transplant

Question 12

renal transplant
ren/o = kidney
-al = pertaining to

Answer 12

replacement of a diseased kidney by a donor kidney

Question 13

retrograde pyelogram (RP)
pyel/o = renal pelvis
-gram = a record

Answer 13

x-ray of the urinary bladder, ureters, and renal pelvis following insertion of dye through the urethra

Question 14

semen analysis

Answer 14

evaluation of semen for fertility; sperm in semen are analyzed for number, swimming strength, and shape; procedure is also used to determine whether a vasectomy has been successful

Question 15

sexually transmitted disease (STD)

Answer 15

contagious disease acquired through sexual contact; also referred to as sexually transmitted infection (STI); formerly referred to as venereal disease (VD)

Question 16

sterility

Answer 16

inability to produce children; in males, usually due to a problem with sperm production, such as aspermia or oligospermia; also called infertility

Question 17

syphillis

Answer 17

bacterial, chronic sexually transmitted disease; begins as a localized ulcer at the point of infection; easily treated early with antibiotics; if left untreated, infection eventually spreads through lymph nodes to the nervous system, causing death many years later

Question 18

testicular cancer
testicul/o = testis
-ar = pertaining to

Answer 18

cancer of one or both testicles; more commonly seen in young men or boys

Question 19

transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
trans- = across
urethr/o = urethra
-al = pertaining to

Answer 19

surgical removal of prostate gland tissue by inserting a device called a resectoscope though the urethra and removing prostate tissue; may also be referred to simply as transurethral resection (TUR)

Question 20

trichomoniasis

-iasis = abnormal condition

Answer 20

protozoan sexually transmitted disease; causes inflammation of the genitourinary tract in both men and women

Question 21

undescended testicle

Answer 21

congenital anomaly involving failure of one or both of the testes to descend into the scrotal sac before birth; surgical procedure called orchiopexy may be required to bring the testes down into the scrotum permanently; also call cryptorchidism

Question 22

urgency

Answer 22

feeling the need to urinate immediately

Question 23

urinalysis (U/A, UA)

urin/o = urine

Answer 23

laboratory test that consists of physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine

Question 24

urinary catheterization (cath)
urin/o = urine
-ary = pertaining to

Answer 24

insertion of a flexible tube (catheter) into the urinary bladder through the urethra; used to withdraw urine or to insert dye

Question 25

urinary incontinence urin/o = urine -ary = pertaining to

Answer 25

involuntary urination; also called enuresis

Question 26

urinary tract infection (UTI) urin/o = urine -ary = pertaining to

Answer 26

infection of any region of the urinary tract; characterized by fever, low back or abdominal pain, and burning pain during urination

Question 27

urine culture and sensitivity (C&S)

Answer 27

diagnostic lab procedure that identifies bacterial infection of the urinary system and determines the best antibiotic to treat it; involves growing bacteria in a culture medium and testing different antibiotics on it

Question 28

varicocele varic/o = dilated vein -cele = protrusion

Answer 28

development of varicose veins in the scrotal veins

Question 29

``` voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) cyst/o = bladder urethr/o = urethra -graphy = process of recording ```

Answer 29

x-ray made while a patient voids dye that has been placed in the urinary bladder through the urethra

Question 30

diuretic | -tic = pertaining to

Answer 30

medication used to increase the production and secretion of urine and thereby decrease the amount of water in the body; treatment for kidney failure, edema, heart failure, and hypertension

Question 31

epispadias | epi- = above

Answer 31

congenital malformation of the penis with the urethra opening on the upper side of the penis.

Question 32

erectile dysfunction (ED)

Answer 32

inability to achiever erection of the penis for coitus; also called impotence

Question 33

``` extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) extra- = outside of corpor/o = body -eal = pertaining to litho/o = stone -tripsy = surgical crushing ```

Answer 33

treatment procedure for urinary system stones; utilizes ultrasound waves to break up stone; process is noninvasive, meaning it does not require surgery

Question 34

frequency

Answer 34

condition of feeling the urge to urinate more often than normal but without increase in total daily volume of urine; can indicate inflammation of the bladder or urethra or benign prostatic hyperplasia

Question 35

genital herpes genit/o = genitals -al = pertaining to

Answer 35

highly infectious viral sexually transmitted disease; causes blisterlike lesions on the penis of males or cervix and vagina of females

Question 36

gonorrhea | -rrhea = discharge

Answer 36

bacterial sexually transmitted disease; infects mucous membranes and can spread throughout the entire genitourinary system; often does not cause many symptoms until widespread

Question 37

hemodialysis (HD) | hem/o = blood

Answer 37

treatment for renal failure using artificial kidney machine to filter waste from the blood

Question 38

hesitancy

Answer 38

state of difficulty initiating flow of urine; often a symptom of blockage along the urethra, such as caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia

Question 39

hydrocele hydr/o = water -cele = protrusion

Answer 39

accumulation of fluid within the scrotum

Question 40

hypospadias | hypo- = below

Answer 40

congenital malformation of the penis with the urethra opening on the underside of the penis

Question 41

``` intravenous pyelogram (IVP) intra- = within ven/o = vein -ous = pertaining to pyel/o = renal pelvis -gram = a record ```

Answer 41

x-ray of the kidney following injection of dye into a vein to visualize the renal pelvis as the kidney filters dye out of the bloodstream and puts it into the urine

Question 42

peritoneal dialysis | -al - pertaining to

Answer 42

artificial means to remove waste substances from the body by placing a warm, chemically balanced solution into the peritoneal cavity; treatment for renal failure

Question 43

phimosis

Answer 43

narrowing of the prepuce over the glans penis; can cause difficulty with urination and infection; treatment is circumcision

Question 44

polycystic kidney disease (PKD) poly- = many cyst/o = sac -ic = pertaining to

Answer 44

inherited kidney disease characterized by the presence of multiple cysts throughout kidney tissue; it eventually destroys the kidneys and results in kidney failure

Question 45

prostate-specific antigen (PSA)

Answer 45

blood test to screen for prostate cancer