Medical terms - Letter M (page 3) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Male sexual orientation gene

See: Gay gene
Malformation

A structural defect in the body due to abnormal embryonic or fetal development. There are many types of malformations. For example, cleft lip and cleft palate. See also Congenital malformation
Malformation, arteriovenous

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a congenital disorder (one present at birth) of blood vessels in the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord that is characterized by a complex, tangled web of abnormal arteries and veins…
Malformation, arteriovenous (AVM)

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a congenital disorder (one present at birth) of blood vessels in the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord that is characterized by a complex, tangled web of abnormal arteries and veins…
Malformation, congenital

A physical defect present in a baby at birth, irrespective of whether the defect is caused by a genetic factor or by prenatal events that are not genetic. In a malformation, the development of a structure is arrested…
Malignancy

A tumor that is malignant, that is cancerous, that can invade and destroy nearby tissue, and that may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body
Malignant

1. Tending to be severe and become progressively worse, as in malignant hypertension. 2. In regard to a tumor, having the properties of a malignancy that can invade and destroy nearby tissue and that may spread…
Malignant ascites

A condition in which fluid containing cancer cells collects within the abdomen
Malignant giant cell tumor

A type of bone tumor characterized by massive destruction of bone near the end (epiphysis) of a long bone. The site most commonly struck by this tumor is the knee -- the far end of the femur and the near end of the…
Malignant melanoma

See: Melanoma
Malleability, brain

See Neuroplasticity
Malleolus

Bony prominence on either side of the ankle.
Mallet

The malleus
Malleus

A tiny bone shaped like a minute mallet in the middle ear. The malleus transmits the sound vibrations from the eardrum to the incus, another little bone in the middle ear. Malleus is Latin for mallet, hammer
Malnutrition

A term used to refer to any condition in which the body does not receive enough nutrients for proper function. Malnutrition may range from mild to severe and life-threatening. It can be a result of starvation, in which…
Malnutrition-related diabetes

At one time, a distinct type of diabetes mellitus, often associated with the tropics and so also called tropical diabetes. Now there is serious doubt about the existence of such a disease. See: Tropical diabetes
Malrotated ear

An ear that is slanted more than usual. Technically, an ear is slanted when the angle of the slope of the auricle is more than 15 degrees from the perpendicular. Slanted ears are considered a minor anomaly. The presence…
Malrotation of the intestine

Failure for the intestine to rotate normally during embryonic development. One of the dangers is that the intestine may be obstructed by abnormal bands or twist on its own blood supply, a condition called volvulus…
MALT

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.
MALT lymphoma

A low grade type of malignancy that arises in cells in mucosal tissue which are involved in antibody production. These lymphomas occur most often in the stomach but can also arise in the lung, thyroid, salivary glands…
MAM

Menstrually associated migraine. See: Menstrual migraine
Mammaplasty, reduction

See: Breast reduction
Mammary gland

One of the two half-moon-shaped glands on either side of the adult female chest, which with fatty tissue and the nipple make up the breast. Within each mammary gland is a network of sacs that produce milk during…
Mammogram

Mammogram: An X-ray of the breast with the breast in a device that compresses and flattens it. There are two basic mammogram tests -- screening mammograms and diagnostic mammograms. A screening mammogram is one done in…
Mammogram, screening

See: Screening mammogram
Managed care

Any system that manages healthcare delivery with the aim of controlling costs. Managed care systems typically rely on a primary care physician who acts as a gatekeeper through whom the patient has to go to obtain other…
Mandible

The mandible is the bone of the lower jaw. The joint where the mandible meets the upper jaw at the temporal bone is called the temporomandibular joint.
Maneuver, Heimlich

An emergency treatment for obstruction of the airway in adults. It may be needed when someone chokes on a piece of food that has 'gone down the wrong way.' To perform the Heimlich maneuver, stand behind the victim, wrap…
Maneuver, Valsalva

See: Valsalva maneuver
Mania

An abnormally elevated mood state characterized by such symptoms as inappropriate elation, increased irritability, severe insomnia, grandiose notions, increased speed and/or volume of speech, disconnected and racing…
Mania, mixed

See: Mixed mania
Manic

Refers to a mood disorder in which a person seems 'high', euphoric, expansive, sometimes agitated, hyperexcitable, with flights of ideas and speech.
Manic-depression

Alternating moods of abnormal highs (mania) and lows (depression). Called bipolar disease because of the swings between these opposing poles in mood. A type of depressive disease. Not nearly as prevalent as other forms…
Manic-depressive disease

See manic-depression
Manicheel tree

A dangerous tropical tree whose sap is highly poisonous and corrosive. The sap comes out when a leaf is crushed, a branch broken, or the fruit of the tree eaten. The manicheel is hazardous to stand under for shelter…
Manny

A male nanny, a man employed full-time to take care of one or more children in a family home. The term manny appears to date back to the 1980s. Plural: mannies or mannys
Manometry

The measurement of pressure using a device called a manometer. Esophageal manometry is done to measure muscle pressure and movements in the esophagus in the evaluation of achalasia. Anal manometry, the measurement of…
Manorexia

A term that has been used to refer to anorexia nervosa in males. This is not an officially recognized medical term but has been frequently used in media reports. Anorexia nervosa affects up to 1% of women at some point…
Mansfield

See: Mansfield, Peter
Mansfield, Peter

British scientist (1933-) who shared the 2003 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with the American scientist Paul C. Lauterbur for discoveries concerning 'magnetic resonance imaging.' (Magnetic resonance imaging is…
Mantoux test

A skin test for tuberculosis, named for the French physician Charles Mantoux (1877-1947). See: Tuberculin
MAO inhibitor

Monoamine oxidase inhibitor. One of a potent class of medications used to treat depression.
MAOI

Monoamine oxidase inhibitor. One of a potent class of medications used to treat depression
MAP

The commonly used term for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. MAP is an acronym derived from the first, second, and fourth words in Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratuberculosis
Map, contig

A map depicting the relative order of a linked library of small overlapping clones representing a complete chromosome segment. A contig is a chromosome map showing the locations of those regions of a chromosome where…
Map, cytogenetic

A genetic term referring to the visual appearance of a chromosome when stained and examined under a microscope. Particularly important are visually distinct regions, called light and dark bands, which give each of the…
Map, linkage

A map of the genes on a chromosome based on linkage analysis. A linkage map does not show the physical distances between genes but rather their relative positions, as determined by how often two gene loci are inherited…
Map, physical

A map of the locations of identifiable landmarks on chromosomes. Physical distance is measured in base pairs. The physical map differs from the genetic map which is based purely on genetic linkage data. In the human…
Map-dot-fingerprint type corneal dystrophy

A disorder in which the cornea (the normally clear front window of the eye) shows geographic map-like lines, dots (or microcysts), and grayish fingerprint lines on examination with a slit-lamp, a device that focuses a…
Maple syrup urine disease

Hereditary disease due to deficiency of an enzyme involved in amino acid metabolism, characterized by urine that smells like maple syrup. The three branched-chain amino acids: (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) cannot be…