EXPRESSING POSITION IN MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

1. General terms

locus, i, m. / situs, us, m. (L.)     = topo- (G.) = place                  e.g. topophobia

            in situ                          = in the (afore-mentioned) place

loco typico                  = in the typical place

loco cicatricis             = in the place of the scar           (*cicatrix, icis, f. = scar)

            eodem loco                   = in the same place

localis, e = local                        e.g. anaesthesia localis

positio, onis, f.                           = position, location

2. Lateral position

lateris dextri (l.dx.)                  = on the right side, the right one

lateris sinistri (l.sin.)                = on the left side, the left one

lateris utriusque (l. utr.)                      = on both sides, both

later- (L.)         *(prefix)           = related to side
      e.g. lateropositio uteri

/bi/lateralis, e                            = /bi/lateral
e.g. decubitus bilaterales

collateralis, e                            = located on the same side                    e.g.
arteria collateralis

sinistro-/dextropositio                = reversal of an organ to the left/right

marginalis, e                             = marginal                                           e.g.
gingivitis marginalis

acralis, e (G.)                           = referring to extremities                      e.g.
cyanosis acralis

3. Medial position

medius, a, um / medianus, a, um                                    e.g. auris media; linea mediana

medialis, e  (x lateralis, e)                                             e.g. nervi
supraclaviculares mediales

intermedius, a, um = located between two things            e.g. septum intermedium

mes-o- (G.)      *(prefix)                                              e.g. mesoderma;
mesencephalon

centralis, e                                                                   e.g. os centrale;
systema nervosum centrale

4. Anterior position/before sth

anterior, ius      *(comparative form)                            e.g. paries anterior gastris

antero-             *(pref.)                                               e.g. funiculus
anterolateralis

ante-                *(pref.)                                               e.g. antepositio uteri

prae- (L.)         *(pref.)                                               e.g. transfusio
praeoperativa

pro- (G.)          *(pref.)                                               e.g. progeria adultorum;
prognathia

5. Posterior position/after sth

posterior, ius    *(comp. form)                                     e.g. processus posterior tali

postero-           *(pref.)                                               e.g. infarctus
posterolateralis

post- (L.)         *(pref.)                                               e.g. regio postnasalis;
status postabortalis

retro- (L.)        *(pref.)                                               e.g. spatium
retropharyngeum

meta- (G.)        *(pref.)                                               e.g. ossa metacarpalia

6. Superior position

superior, ius     *(comp. form)                                     e.g. palpebra superior

supero-            *(pref.)                                               e.g. nodi lymphatici
inguinales
    superficiales superomediales

supra-/super- (L.)        *(pref.)                                    e.g. fossa supravesicalis;
venae
superficiales membri superioris

epi- (G.)          *(pref.)                                               e.g. venae episclerales

hyper- (g.)       *(pref.) rarely                                     e.g. hypernephritis

7. Inferior position

inferior, ius       *(comp. form)                                     e.g. membra inferiora

infero-              *(pref.)                                               e.g. infarctus
inferoposterior

infra- (L.)         *(pref.)                                               e.g. nervus
infraorbitalis

sub- (L.)          *(pref.)                                               e.g. ductus sublingualis
maior

hypo- (G.)       *(pref.) rarely                                     e.g. hypodermis

8. Internal position

internus, a, um                                                 e.g. auris interna

intra- (L.)         *(pref.)                                               e.g haemorrhagia
intracranialis

endo- (G.)       *(pref.)                                               e.g. endocarditis


9. External position

externus, a, um                                                            e.g. meatus acusticus
externus

extra- (L.)        *(pref.)                                               e.g. circulatio
extracorporalis

ecto-/exo- (G.) *(pref.)                                               e.g. ectoparasitus; neurosis
exogenes