phalangitis

9.9

Swelling and pain in a finger or toe

noun
/fəˌlænˈdʒaɪtɪs/

Specialized

: falangitis

The doctor diagnosed him with phalangitis after he complained of pain and swelling in his toe.

Examples

Early treatment of phalangitis helps prevent long-term joint damage.
The doctor diagnosed her with phalangitis after examining her fingers.
Chronic phalangitis may require both medication and changes in footwear.
He has been suffering from phalangitis for several weeks now.
The doctor diagnosed him with phalangitis after he complained of pain and swelling in his toe.
Early treatment of phalangitis helps prevent long-term joint damage.
Chronic phalangitis may require both medication and changes in footwear.

Synonyms

osteitis

vsphalangitis

Specialized

1 9.9

Pain and swelling in a bone caused by infection or injury

affects a finger or toe rather than the bone itself

How Inflamed

phalangitis

Specialized

9.9

irritation

20 3.2

Surface Forms

phalangitis singular

phalangitides plural

Morphology

phalangitis = phalanx (semi-transparent) = phalang + itis

Formed from the combining form 'phalang-' referring to a phalanx and the medical suffix '-itis' meaning inflammation; the medical suffix is specialized and may be unfamiliar to general learners.

Etymology

The word phalangitis comes from the Greek root phalanx, which means 'finger bone' and was also used for a 'line of soldiers', plus the ending -itis, which means 'inflammation' as in tonsillitis. So, phalangitis means 'inflammation of a finger or toe'.