myasthenia gravis

noun

myasthenia gra·​vis -ˈgra-vəs  -ˈgrä- 

: a disease that is characterized by progressive weakness and exhaustibility of voluntary muscles without atrophy and is caused by an autoimmune attack on muscle cell receptors which normally bind to acetylcholine released at nerve endings

Note: Symptoms of myasthenia gravis may include double vision, drooping of the eyelids, difficult swallowing, impaired speech, and weakness in the arms, legs, and neck.

… in myasthenia gravis, antibodies destroy the muscle's receptor proteins that serve as docks for this signal, a chemical called acetylcholine.

—Science News

Examples of myasthenia gravis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It's called myasthenia gravis and affects only about 37 out of every 100,000 people in the United States. —Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024

But B cells are a thread across many autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS), scleroderma (also called systemic sclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis, and myasthenia gravis. —Byjennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 14 Nov. 2024

Examples include Parkinson's disease, myasthenia gravis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).12 Medications Various medications can cause cramps as a side effect of treatment. —Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 31 July 2024

Ford beat the cancer, though he was later diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease called myasthenia gravis that affects the face, eyes and throat. —Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, grave myasthenia

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

myasthenia gravis

noun

myasthenia gra·​vis -ˈgrav-əs  -ˈgräv- 

: a disease characterized by progressive weakness and exhaustibility of voluntary muscles without atrophy or sensory disturbance and caused by an autoimmune attack on acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions