Organomegaly

Organomegaly (a.k.a. visceromegaly or, the archaic splanchnomegaly) is the general term for the enlargement of an organ (or organs). Although usually pathological, occasionally the enlargement is a normal physiological response e.g. compensatory hypertrophy of the remaining kidney after a nephrectomy. 

Terminology

Many of the terms below will not be found in standard English dictionaries but all are found in the larger medical dictionaries and/or the published literature. The majority are in common (medical) usage, some will have niche usages in some specialties or rare conditions, whilst a few are perhaps a little contrived. However all have been found in published sources and completely made-up terms have not been included e.g. epididymomegaly, which whilst looking like it might be real, was coined by this author when writing this article (in 2018).

Any term lacking a separate citation superscript is found in Dorland's Medical Dictionary ¹. All other words have an accompanying citation ^2-21.

Specific organs:

Following the name of the organ, is a term used for an enlargement of that organ, with synonyms in brackets.

• adrenal gland - adrenomegaly

• aorta - aortomegaly ²

• artery - aneurysm or angiomegaly

• atrium - atriomegaly

• auricle - macrotia

• bladder - megalocystis/megacystis

• breast

  • female: macromastia (macromazia, gigantomastia ⁴)

  • male: gynecomastia

• bronchus - bronchomegaly ⁵

• calyx - calyectasis (caliectasis, megacalyx)

• cecum - megacaecum (typhlomegaly is now archaic)

• clitoris - clitoromegaly (macroclitoris, megaloclitoris)

• colon - megacolon (macrocolon, megabowel)

  • sigmoid colon - megasigmoid (macrosigmoid)

• cornea - megalocornea (macrocornea)

• duodenum - megaduodenum

• ear - macrotia

• eye - macrophthalmia (megalo-ophthalmia)

• eyelashes - trichomegaly

• eyelid - macroblepharia

• face - macroprosopia

• foot - podomegaly ⁶ (megalopodia, macropodia)

• finger - dactylomegaly (macrodactyly, megalodactyly)

• gallbladder - cholecystomegaly ⁷

• genitals - macrogenitosomia

• hand - cheiromegaly (megalocheiria or macrocheiria)

• head - macrocephaly (megalocephaly, cephalomegaly)

• heart - cardiomegaly

• jaws - macrognathia

• kidney - nephromegaly (renomegaly ²³)

• limbs - macromelia

  • upper limbs: macrobrachia

  • lower limbs below knees: macrocnemia

• lips (oral or genital) - macrocheilia, macrolabia, labiomegaly ⁸

• liver - hepatomegaly (megalohepatia: rarely used)

• liver and spleen - hepatosplenomegaly

• lung - hyperinflation

• lymph node - lymphadenomegaly ⁹

• mouth - macrostomia

• nails - clubbing (macronychia, megalonychia)

• nose - rhinomegaly ¹⁰ (macrorhinia)

• esophagus - megaesophagus (megalo-esophagus)

• pancreas - pancreatomegaly ¹¹

• parotid gland - parotidomegaly ¹² (parotomegaly ¹³) 

• pelvicalyceal system - hydronephrosis 

• penis - penomegaly ¹⁴ (macropenis, macrophallus, megalopenis, megalophallus)

• placenta - placentomegaly ¹⁵

• prostate - prostatomegaly

• rectum - megarectum

• renal tract - hydronephroureterosis 

• salivary gland - sialomegaly ²⁰

• scrotum - scrotomegaly (megascrotum) ²¹

• small bowel - enteromegaly

• spleen - splenomegaly (megalosplenia)

• stomach - gastromegaly (megalogastria) 

• testis - testiculomegaly ¹⁶

• tooth - macrodontia (megadontia, macrotooth)

• thymus - thymomegaly ¹⁷ (megalothymus)

• thyroid - goiter (thyromegaly is rare)

• tongue - glossomegaly (macroglossia, megaloglossia)

• tonsils - tonsillomegaly ¹⁸

• trachea - tracheomegaly ⁵

• trachea and bronchus - tracheobronchomegaly

• ureter - hydroureter (megaureter, megaloureter)

• urethra - megalourethra

• vagina - vaginomegaly ¹⁹

• vein - varix or venomegaly ³

• ventricle (brain) - ventriculomegaly (hydrocephalus is different)

History and etymology

The prefix 'mega' and the suffix '-megaly' are derived from the ancient Greek word μεγα (mega) meaning 'great'. The prefix 'macro' is also derived from the ancient Greek, μακρος (macros) meaning 'large' ^1,22.