Patologische

Patologische is an adjective form used in German and Dutch to describe things related to pathology. In both languages, patologische functions as the feminine singular attributive form of patologisch before a feminine noun, and it is commonly found in medical and scientific terminology.

In medical usage, patologisch indicates a relationship to pathology, the science that studies the causes, development, and effects of disease. The term appears in phrases such as patologische Veränderungen (pathological changes), patologische Befunde (pathological findings), and patologische Prozesse (pathological processes). When used this way, it signals that the observed feature deviates from normal anatomy or physiology due to disease, injury, developmental anomalies, or genetic factors. It does not designate a specific diagnosis by itself; rather, it describes characteristics associated with pathological states.

In Dutch, the same inflection applies, with examples such as patologische aandoeningen (pathological conditions) or patologische processen, where the adjective modifies feminine nouns. The term is generally not used as a standalone noun; it functions within noun phrases to classify observations as belonging to pathology.

Etymology and related terms: patologisch derives from pathologie (pathology), itself from Greek patos (suffering) and -logie (study). In English, the equivalent adjective is pathological and the noun is pathology. In clinical contexts, patologische descriptions are common in reports and research to differentiate disease-related changes from normal variations, though precision and sensitivity are important to avoid misleading or stigmatizing language.