Medical terms - Letter M (page 10) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Meningitis vaccine

This term usually refers to a vaccine used to prevent meningococcal meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord due to bacterial infection by Neisseria meningitidis. The CDC's…
Meningitis, aseptic

Inflammation of the meninges that is not caused by bacterial infection. Viral meningitis is the most common cause of aseptic meningitis, but other causes include systemic lupus erythematosus, cancers, Behcet's disease…
Meningitis, bacterial

Inflammation of the meninges due to a bacterial infection. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis before the 1990s, but new vaccines given to children as part of their routine…
Meningitis, benign recurrent aseptic

Recurring meningitis without identifiable cause that leaves no residual damage to the nervous system. Benign recurrent aseptic meningitis is also called Mollaret meningitis. The cause of benign recurrent aseptic…
Meningitis, cryptococcal

Inflammation of the meninges due to infection with the fungal organism cryptococcus neoformans, which is found mainly in dirt and bird droppings. Most people have been exposed to this organism at some time, but normally…
Meningitis, infectious

Meningitis caused by bacterial, viral, or protozoan infection. Most of the agents known to cause meningitis are infectious, but very few people exposed to them will get meningitis. Those at greatest danger include…
Meningitis, Kernig sign of

This clinical hallmark of meningitis, inflammation of the meninges, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, is tested for by having the person lie supine (flat on the back), flex the thigh so that it is at a…
Meningitis, meningococcal

Meningitis, meningococcal: Inflammation of the meninges (the membranes covering of the brain and spinal cord) due to infection with the meningococcus bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. Meningococcal meningitis typically…
Meningitis, Mollaret

Benign recurrent aseptic meningitis. The cause of Mollaret meningitis is not known. Mollaret meningitis is distinguished from viral meningitis by its recurrent character with symptom-free intervals between episodes…
Meningitis, neoplastic

A condition due to cancer that has spread from the original (primary) tumor to the meninges, the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. The term is a misnomer because the condition is not inflammatory. It is more…
Meningitis, tuberculous

See: Tuberculous meningitis
Meningitis, viral

Inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord) caused by a virus, usually one of the enteroviruses such as the mumps virus or Coxsackievirus. Viral meningitis can be a complication the…
Meningocele (MM)

Protrusion of the membranes that cover the spine and part of the spinal cord through a bone defect in the vertebral column. MM is due to failure of closure during embryonic life of bottom end of the neural tube, the…
Meningococcal infection

Infection with the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. (Neisseria was formerly called Meningococcus and the term 'meningococcal' is still entrenched.) Persons with a meningococcal infection may have any of several acute…
Meningococcal meningitis

Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges (the membranes covering of the brain and spinal cord) due to infection with the meningococcus bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. Meningococcal meningitis typically starts like the…
Meningococcal vaccine

Meningococcal vaccine: A vaccine to prevent meningococcal infection, including meningococcal meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningococcal infection is caused by the…
Meningococcus

A type of bacteria now formally known as Neisseria meningitidis, which is responsible for a number of meningococcal diseases including epidemic bacterial meningitis, an inflammation of the coverings of the brain and…
Meningoencephalitis

Meningitis + encephalitis, inflammation of the meninges and brain. Called also: Encephalomeningitis
Meningomyelocele

Protrusion of the membranes that cover the spine but some of the spinal cord itself through a defect in the bony encasement of the vertebral column. The bony defect is spina bifida.
Meniscus

The word 'meniscus' comes from the Greek and refers to a crescent-shaped structure. Today a meniscus is something that is shaped like a crescent moon or a croissant pastry. A meniscus can be an anatomic feature. For…
Meniscus injury

Injuries to the crescent-shaped cartilage pads between the two joints formed by the femur (the thigh bone) and the tibia (the shin bone). The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on. The two menisci…
Meniscus, lateral knee

The word 'meniscus' refers to a crescent-shaped structure. The lateral meniscus of the knee is a thickened crescent-shaped cartilage pad between the two joints formed by the femur (the thigh bone) and the tibia (the…
Meniscus, medial knee

The word 'meniscus' refers to a crescent-shaped structure. The medial meniscus of the knee is a thickened crescent-shaped cartilage pad between the two joints formed by the femur (the thigh bone) and the tibia (the shin…
Menkes syndrome

A genetic disorder, also known as kinky hair syndrome, in which the hair is fragile and twisted ('kinky') and there is progressive deterioration of the brain and arterial changes leading to death in infancy. The…
Menometrorrhagia

Excessive uterine bleeding, both at the usual time of menstrual periods and at other irregular intervals. Menometrorrhagia can be a sign of a number of different disorders including hormone imbalance, endometriosis…
Menopause

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also called the 'change of life.' Menopause is the opposite of the menarche. Menopause is defined as the time when there has been no…
Menopause transition

Menopause transition: A woman can usually tell if she is approaching menopause because her menstrual periods starts changing. The medical terms used to describe this time are the 'menopause transition' and…
Menopause, chemical

Menopause, chemical: Menopause induced by chemotherapy or other chemicals or medications. Chemical menopause is a type of 'induced menopause', menopause induced by an unusual event, such as may also occur when the…
Menopause, induced

Menopause, induced: Induced menopause occurs when menopause is due to an unusual ('unnatural') event. It is induced when the ovaries are surgically removed (by bilateral oophorectomy) or when the ovaries are gravely…
Menopause, natural

Menopause, natural: Natural menopause occurs when the ovaries naturally decrease their production of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone; there are no menstrual periods for 12 consecutive months; and no other…
Menopause, radiation

Menopause, radiation: Menopause induced by radiation. Radiation menopause is a type of 'induced menopause', menopause induced by an unusual event such as occurs when the ovaries are damaged by radiation, chemotherapy or…
Menopause, surgical

Menopause, surgical: Surgical menopause is, not unexpectedly, menopause induced by surgery. Surgical menopause is a type of induced menopause: menopause due to an unusual event. It is induced when the ovaries are…
Menorrhagia

Excessive uterine bleeding occurring at the expected intervals of the menstrual periods. The bleeding from the uterus starts on schedule but is heavier than usual and may last longer than usual. Menorrhagia may be a…
Menstrual

Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrual cramps, menstrual cycle, and premenstrual syndrome. From the Latin menstrualis, from mensis meaning month
Menstrual cramps

Menstrual cramps: Cramping in the lower abdomen, usually in the first or second day of the menstrual cycle. These are caused contractions of the uterus as it expels its unneeded contents, and also by the passage of…
Menstrual cycle

The monthly cycle of changes in the ovaries and the lining of the uterus (endometrium), starting with the preparation of an egg for fertilization. When the follicle of the prepared egg in the ovary breaks, it is…
Menstrual irregularity

The normal menstrual cycle is about four weeks long, and often follows the phases of the moon. Its length varies from three to seven days, but is usually consistent. However, girls and teenagers who menstruate are…
Menstrual migraine

A migraine headache that affects a woman each month between the 2nd day before the start of the menstrual period and the end of menstruation. Menstrual migraine is different from nonmenstrual attacks of migraine, even…
Menstrual spotting

The presence of apparent menstrual blood during the wrong parts of the menstrual cycle. Some women have a tendency to bleed around ovulation, which occurs at about the 14th day after the first day of menstrual bleeding…
Menstrual synchronization

A phenomenon that occurs when two or more menstruating women live together, in which the menstrual cycles of the women gradually become synchronized. The mechanism and reason for this effect is unknown, although current…
Menstrually associated migraine

See: Menstrual migraine
Menstruation

Menstruation: The periodic blood that flows as a discharge from the uterus. Also called menorrhea, the time during which menstruation occurs is referred to as menses. The menses occurs at approximately 4 week intervals…
Menstruation, anovular

Menstruation without ovulation. The egg stays within the ovary and usually disintegrates but sometimes it is fertilized, resulting in a life-threatening pregnancy within the ovary
Menstruation, cessation of

Menstruation, cessation of: Menstruation ends naturally in middle age with the onset of the menopause. It can also end suddenly as a result of induced menopause. Cessation of menstruation in non-menopausal women may be…
Menstruation, retrograde

The flow of menstrual blood from the uterus into the fallopian tubes, and potentially into the abdomen. This condition can lead to endometriosis
Mental child injury

Also known as emotional child abuse, this is the third most frequently reported form of child abuse (after child neglect and physical child abuse), accounting 17% of all cases of child abuse. It is likely that emotional…
Mental retardation

A syndrome with the following characteristic features: (1) Neurological: Mental retardation and aphasia (lack of speech); (2) Limbs: Clasped (adducted) thumbs, absent extensor pollicis longus and/or brevis muscles to…
Mental retardation and clasped thumbs

A syndrome with the following characteristic features:(1) Neurological: Mental retardation and aphasia (lack of speech);(2) Limbs: Clasped (adducted) thumbs, absent extensor pollicis longus and/or brevis muscles to the…
Mental retardation, blindness, deafness, seizures

Seizures: A disorder first reported in 1999 by Gustavson and colleagues as a newly recognized X-linked mental retardation syndrome. In the family they studied there were 7 male children in 2 generations with the…
Mentum

Medical term for the chin. From Latin. See: Chin