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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with M
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Mastoiditis
Mastoiditis: Inflammation of the mastoid, often secondary to ear infection.more detail info...
Maternal mortality rate
Maternal mortality rate: The number of maternal deaths related to childbearing divided by the number of live births (or by the number of live births + fetal deaths) in that year. The maternal mortality rate in the United States in 1993 (and 1994) was 0more detail info...
Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP)
Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP): The presence of AFP, a plasma protein normally produced by the fetus, in the mother's blood. MSAFP serves as the basis for some valuable tests. AFP is manufactured principally in the fetus's liver and,more detail info...
Matter, gray
Matter, gray: The cortex of the brain which contains nerve cell bodies. The gray matter is as opposed to the white matter, the part of the brain that contains myelinated nerve fibers. The gray matter is so named because it in fact appears gray. In &quomore detail info...
Matter, white
Matter, white: The part of the brain that contains myelinated nerve fibers. The white matter is white because it is the color of myelin, the insulation covering the nerve fibers. The white matter is as opposed to the gray matter (the cortex of the braimore detail info...
Maxilla
Maxilla: The maxilla is the major bone of the upper jawmore detail info...
Measles
Measles: An acute highly contagious viral disease with fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and a spreading skin rash. Measles, also known as rubeola, is a potentially disastrous disease. It can be complicated by ear infectmore detail info...
Measles encephalitis
Measles encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) occurs in perhaps 1 in 1,000 cases of measles, starting (up to 3 weeks) after onset of the rash and presenting with high fever, convulsions, and coma. It usually runs a blessedly shmore detail info...
Measles immunization
Measles immunization: The standard MMR vaccine is given to prevent measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). The MMR vaccine is now given in two dosages. The first should be given at 12-15 months of age. The second vaccination should be given amore detail info...
Measles syndrome, atypical (AMS)
Measles syndrome, atypical (AMS): An altered expression of measles, AMS begins suddenly with high fever, headache, cough, and abdominal pain. The rash may appear 1 to 2 days later, often beginning on the limbs. Swelling (edema) of the hands andmore detail info...
Measly
Measly: The word measly can refer to measles, and, thence, to spotty and, thence, to something that is of little value. In medicine, the measly tapeworn is the pork tapeworm (T. solium) which can be contracted through eating measly pork (pork infectedmore detail info...
Measly tapeworm
Measly tapeworm: The pork tapeworm, formally known as Taenia solium. Contracted from undercooked or measly pork (pork infected with the larval forms of the tapeworm). Can grow to be 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) long in the human intestine. Also known as the armore detail info...
Meatus
Meatus: A passageway.more detail info...
Meckel's diverticulum
Meckel's diverticulum: An outpouching of the small bowel. About 1 in every 50 people has a Meckel's diverticulum. It is usually located about 2 feet before the junction of the small bowel with the colon (the large intestine) in the right lower abdmore detail info...
Meconium
Meconium: Dark sticky material normally present in the intestine at birth and passed in the feces after birth. The passage of meconium before birth can be a sign of fetal distress.more detail info...
Meconium ileus
Meconium ileus: Obstruction of the intestine (ileus) due to overly thick meconium, the dark sticky stuff that is normally present in the intestine at birth and, after trypsin and other enzymes from the pancreas have acted on it, is normally passmore detail info...
Medial
Medial: The side of the body or bdy part that is nearer to the middle or center (median) of the body. For example, when referring to the knee, medial would mean the side of the knee that is closest to the other knee The opposite of medial is lateral.more detail info...
Median
Median: The middle. Like the median strip in a highway.more detail info...
Mediastinoscopy
Mediastinoscopy: A procedure in which the doctor inserts a tube into the chest to view the organs in the mediastinum. The tube is inserted through an incision above the breastbone.more detail info...
Mediastinotomy
Mediastinotomy: A procedure in which the doctor inserts a tube into the chest to view the organs in the mediastinum. The tube is inserted through an incision next to the breastbone.more detail info...