MYASTHENIA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does myasthenia mean? 

• MYASTHENIA (noun)
  The noun MYASTHENIA has 2 senses:

1. a chronic progressive disease characterized by chronic fatigue and muscular weakness (especially in the face and neck); caused by a deficiency of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junctions

2. any muscular weakness

  Familiarity information: MYASTHENIA used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MYASTHENIA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A chronic progressive disease characterized by chronic fatigue and muscular weakness (especially in the face and neck); caused by a deficiency of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junctions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

myasthenia; myasthenia gravis

Hypernyms ("myasthenia" is a kind of...):

disease of the neuromuscular junction (a disease characterized by impairment of neuromuscular junctions)

autoimmune disease; autoimmune disorder (any of a large group of diseases characterized by abnormal functioning of the immune system that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against your own tissues)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any muscular weakness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("myasthenia" is a kind of...):

physical condition; physiological condition; physiological state (the condition or state of the body or bodily functions)

 Context examples 

Myasthenia gravis is disease that causes weakness in the muscles under your control.

(Myasthenia Gravis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Antibodies to this protein can be produced by patients with myasthenia gravis.

(A Kinase Anchor Protein 12, NCI Thesaurus/LocusLink)

Representative examples include multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and myasthenia gravis.

(Autoimmune Nervous System Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

A classification system for grading myasthenia gravis that divides the disease into 5 main classes and several subclasses.

(Myasthenia Classification System, NCI Thesaurus)

Mutation of the gene is associated with congenital myasthenic syndrome with episodic apnea (familial infantile myasthenia gravis 2).

(CHAT wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This type of thymoma usually occurs in myasthenia gravis patients without any macroscopic (gross) evidence of tumor. — 2005

(Microscopic Thymoma, NCI Thesaurus)

It is also used in laboratory research as a protein denaturant. (From Martindale, the Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed and Merck Index, 12th ed) It is also used in the treatment of myasthenia and as a fluorescent probe in HPLC.

(Guanidinium Cation, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease.

(Myasthenia Gravis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

If you have myasthenia gravis, it is important to follow your treatment plan.

(Myasthenia Gravis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

For some people, myasthenia gravis can go into remission and they do not need medicines.

(Myasthenia Gravis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)