Which suffix indicates a disease of a body part?

• A. -pathy
• B. -itis
• C. -osis
• D. -oma

Answer: (A)

The suffix that signals a disease affecting a specific body part is -pathy. When you attach -pathy to a root that names a part or system, it means a disease or disorder of that part, such as neuropathy (disease of nerve), cardiopathy (disease of the heart), or nephropathy (disease of the kidney). This differs from -itis, which means inflammation of a part; -osis, which implies an abnormal or degenerative condition; and -oma, which denotes a tumor. So -pathy is the marker for a disease of a body part.