What it means
Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells, as in benign prostatic hyperplasiabee-NINE proh-STAT-ik hy-per-PLAY-zhuhA prostate gland that has grown larger than normal, from growth that is not cancer.hyper- more than normalplas growth or formation-ia conditionFull entry ; dysplasia is abnormal cell growth, which can come before cancer; aplasia is a failure to form, as in aplastic anemiaay-PLAS-tik uh-NEE-mee-uhA rare condition in which the bone marrow stops making enough red cells, white cells and platelets.a- without-plastic formingan- without-emia blood conditionFull entry .
Remember it
-plasia is growth; -plasty is plastic surgery.
Easy to confuse with
-plasty
A word ending that means surgical repair or reshaping.
Related terms
benign prostatic hyperplasia
A prostate gland that has grown larger than normal, from growth that is not cancer.
aplastic anemia
A rare condition in which the bone marrow stops making enough red cells, white cells and platelets.
-plasty
A word ending that means surgical repair or reshaping.