What does the suffix "-sclerosis" imply about a condition?

The suffix "-sclerosis" specifically indicates an abnormal hardening of tissue or an organ. In medical terminology, "sclerosis" is derived from the Greek word "skleros," meaning hard. This term is commonly used to describe conditions where normal tissue becomes hardened due to disease processes, such as in multiple sclerosis, where the myelin sheath of nerve fibers hardens, leading to various neurological symptoms. The presence of this suffix in a term signals to veterinarians and healthcare providers that they are dealing with an issue related to rigidity or loss of flexibility in an organ or tissue structure. This understanding is crucial in diagnosing and managing conditions that involve such pathological changes.