Saturday, January 3, 2009

Edema or Oedema? Which One is the Correct Spelling?

Both are correct.

From Twitter:

Joshua Schwimmer
KidneyNotes Just overheard someone use the word "oedema" -- and they pronounced the "o." Oawesome.


Robbo
BiteTheDust @KidneyNotes "use the word "oedema" -- and they pronounced the "o." Oawesome." perhaps they came from an English speaking country? ;-)


DrGourmet.com
DrGourmet @AllergyNotes I always thought it was a contraction for "Oh! I have edema."

Edema (American English) or Oedema (British English), formerly known as "dropsy" or "hydropsy," is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin, or in one or more cavities of the body. Source: Wikipedia.

Technically, the Greek origin of the word requires "oe-" for correct spelling. There are many medical terms that differ between American and British English, for example: anaemia, oesophagus, haemorrhage, haemophilia, etc.

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