A viral infection common in schoolchildren. It may cause fever, vomiting and swelling of the parotid glands, the largest salivary glands.
mumps
Munchausen's syndrome
A disorder in which the sufferer complains of physical symptoms that are pretended or self-induced.
murmur
A sound produced by the turbulent blood flow within the heart or arteries, heard with a stethoscope.
muscle
Tissue made up of cells that can contract to bring about movement.
muscular dystrophy
An inherited disease of muscles in which they become weak and wasted, eventually leading to impaired mobility. There are multiple types of varying severity
musculoskeletal
Relating to the skeleton and its attached muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments that gives structure to the body and enables movement
mutation
A change in the genetic material (DNA) of a cell, or the change this this causes in a characteristic of the individual, which is not caused by normal genetic processes.
myalgia
Pain in the muscles.
myasthenia gravis
A rare disorder in which the muscles become weak and tire easily. The muscles of the eyes, face, throat and limbs are most commonly affected.
mycology
The study of fungi.
mycosis fungoides
A group of rare cancers that grow in the skin.
myelitis
Inflammation of the spinal cord caused by a viral infection.
myelodysplatic syndrome
A condition in bone marrow leading to the underproduction of blood cells.
myelogenous leukaemia
Acute or chronic myeloid leukaemia.
myelography
An x-ray examination of the spinal cord, nerves, and other tissues within the spinal cord after injection of a substance that is opaque to x-rays.
myeloid
Derived from or relating to bone marrow.
myeloid cell
A type of white blood cell that fights infection.
myeloma
A type of bone marrow cancer.
myeloproliferative disorders
A group of diseases in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets.
myocardial infarction
Death of an area of heart muscle due to poor blood supply. This is commonly known as a heart attack.
myocardial ischaemia
Inadequate flow of blood to the heart muscle.
myocardial perfusion imaging
Imaging of the heart after intravenous injection of a radioactive tracer, to assess the blood supply to the heart itself.
myocarditis
Inflammation of the heart muscle.
myokymia
A form of involuntary, spontaneous muscular movement often caused by too much caffeine, high levels of anxiety, fatigue, stress or a lack of sleep. Usage of drugs or alcohol may also be involved.