pancreato-

Pancreato– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “pancreas.” The pancreas is “a gland, situated near the stomach, that secretes a digestive fluid into the intestine through one or more ducts and also secretes the hormone insulin.” The form pancreato– is occasionally used in medical terms, especially in pathology.

Pancreato– comes from Greek pánkreas, meaning “sweetbread.” Yes—sweetbread. Discover why at our entry for sweetbread.

What are variants of pancreato-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, pancreato– becomes pancreat–, as in pancreatectomy. Another, less common variant of pancreato– is pancreatico–, as in pancreaticoduodenal. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for pancreat– and pancreatico-.

One example of a medical term that uses pancreato– is pancreatopathy, “disease of the pancreas.”

The form pancreato– means “pancreas,” and the –pathy part of the word refers to “disease,” from Greek páthos. Pancreatopathy literally translates to “pancreas disease.”

What are some words that use the combining form pancreato-?

• pancreatogenic
• pancreatogenous
• pancreatography
• pancreatolith
• pancreatolysis
• pancreatotomy

What are some other forms that pancreato– may be commonly confused with?

• pan-
• para-

The combining form –tomy means “cutting, incision.” With this in mind, what kind of medical procedure is a pancreatotomy?