splenitis

9.1

Swelling and pain in the spleen often caused by an infection

noun
/ˌsplɛnˈaɪtɪs/

Specialized

: esplenitis

The doctors diagnosed the patient with splenitis after noting significant swelling and pain in his abdomen.

Examples

Her persistent fever and fatigue were eventually traced to splenitis caused by a bacterial infection.
Because splenitis can be caused by various infections, early treatment is essential for recovery.
The doctor diagnosed her with splenitis.
He was suffering from splenitis for weeks.
Her persistent fever and fatigue were eventually traced to splenitis caused by a bacterial infection.
Because splenitis can be caused by various infections, early treatment is essential for recovery.
The doctors diagnosed the patient with splenitis after noting significant swelling and pain in his abdomen.

Surface Forms

splenitis singular

splenitides plural

Morphology

splenitis = spleen (semi-transparent) = splen + itis

Formed from the combining form 'splen-' (spleen) plus the medical suffix '-itis' meaning inflammation; the medical suffix is somewhat technical and may not be fully transparent to average learners.

Etymology

Splenitis comes from the Greek root splen meaning 'spleen' and the medical ending -itis meaning 'inflammation', just like in tonsillitis and arthritis. So, Splenitis literally means 'inflammation of the spleen'.