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vesic(o)-

Also vesiculo‑.

A blister; the urinary bladder.

Latin vesica, bladder.

A vesicle can be any of a variety of fluid-filled or air-filled cavities or sacs, including a small blister full of clear fluid. A vesicant is an agent that causes blistering.

Most medical terms use vesico‑ to refer to the urinary bladder, for which the adjective is vesical; vesicoureteric reflux (Greek ourein, to urinate) is a flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureters, caused by defective valves; vesicostomy (Greek stoma, mouth) is a surgical procedure that creates a passage between the bladder and the skin to allow urine to pass; vesicovaginal refers to the bladder and the vagina.

Terms in vesiculo‑ (Latin vesicula, diminutive of vesica) refer to the seminal vesicles, as in vesiculitis, inflammation of them.

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