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myasthenia gravis

American  

noun

Pathology.
  1. a disease of impaired transmission of motor nerve impulses, characterized by episodic muscle weakness and easy fatigability, especially of the face, tongue, neck, and respiratory muscles: caused by autoimmune destruction of acetylcholine receptors. MG


myasthenia gravis British  
/ ˈɡrɑːvɪs /

noun

  1. a chronic progressive disease in which the muscles, esp those of the head and face, become weak and easily fatigued

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of myasthenia gravis

1895–1900; < New Latin: serious muscle weakness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Argenx currently has one successful growth driver, its Vyvgart drug for rare neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis, but its U.S. patent is due to expire in 2036, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 29, 2026

His longtime partner, Keely Stahl, said the cause was myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that weakens the skeletal muscles.

From New York Times Jan. 27, 2023

Blackmore victim Paul Stevens, who was forced to retire from work due to an auto-immune disease called myasthenia gravis, invested his ill-health retirement benefit into the fund.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2022

Mr. Smith, who had given up performing to manage his wife’s career, had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes extreme weakness.

From Washington Post Jun. 5, 2017

Esophageal paralysis is not uncommon in myasthenia gravis.

From Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery by Jackson, Chevalier

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