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Don't forget that these combining forms should agree with the words they are combined with: Greek to Greek, Latin to Latin. Miriam L. Denham [log in to unmask] On Sun, 28 Apr 1996 [log in to unmask] wrote: > Barbara wished Dr Iacono had fixed her "speller" at the same time of a great > pallidotomy. I just want to assure you that Dr Iacono did not switch > prefixes on the word "lateral" preceding the word pallidotomy in Barbara's > head. > > Barbara said she had a monolatrial palllidotomy > > mono - a combining form meaning (a) one, single, alone (b) in chemistry, the > presence of one atom or group of that to the name of which it is attached. > > uni - a combining form meaning one > > bi - A prefix meaning (a) two, twice, double (b) in anatomy, connection with > or relation to each of two symmetrically paired parts (c) in chemistry, > presence of two atoms or equivalents (of a component) or presence (of this > component) in double the usual proportion or in double the proportion of the > other component. > > tri - a combining form meaning three > > There seems to be an inconsistency in applying the prefix. Mono and bi seem > to go together and uni and tri go together. Since this is not the way they > are used, our memory will be called upon one more time. > > The actual medical terms for the pallidotomy are: > > unilateral pallidotomy: > > Means to apply the procedure called pallidotomy to only one side of the > brain. Sometimes the word unilateral is omitted and the actual side of the > brain is given such as left or right pallidotomy. In the left pallidotomy, > the lesion is placed in the left side of the brain and effects the muscle > movement on the opposite side (right side) of the body. A right pallidotomy > thus effects the left side of the body with a lesion on the right side of the > brain. > > bilateral pallidotomy: > > Means to apply the procedure to both sides of the brain. This term is used > when both the left and right pallidotomy is performed during the same > surgical operation. To my knowledge there is not a word that means two > pallidotomies performed, one left and one right, but at two separate times. > > ipsilateral: > > Situated on the same side, as for example paralytic (or similar) symptoms > which occur on the same side as the lesion causing them. > > The word ipsilateral is used to reference symptoms that appear on the same > side as the pallidotomy. Since a left pallidotomy effects the right side of > the body, the ipsilateral symptoms are those symptoms appearing the left side > of the body. Thus in a technical paper one might read: A unilateral > pallidotomy was performed reducing symptoms by as much as 95% without > changing ipsilateral symptoms. This just means the pallidotomy worked well > on the target side and had no crossover, good or bad, to the other side. > > The following three words should now be well etched in your brain: > Unilateral Pallidotomy - one sided pallidotomy > Bilateral Pallidotomy - two sided pallidotomy > Ipsilateral symptoms - symptoms appearing on same side as site of lesion > > (Monolateral I am sure, was understood by all. Now you know what happens > when one cannot sleep.) > > Regards, > Alan Bonander >