A hernia involving the heart; a condition where heart tissue protrudes through a weakened area of the pericardium or surrounding tissue.
From cardio- (Greek kardia, 'heart') + -cele (from Greek kele, 'hernia' or 'rupture'). Medical term combining Greek roots to describe a cardiac protrusion, used since the 19th century.
The suffix -cele appears in many medical conditions like hydrocele (fluid hernia) and varicocele (varicose vein hernia)—learning this suffix lets you partially 'decode' medical terminology you've never heard before!
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