Macroglossia
An abnormally large tongue. Macroglossia is sometimes said to be associated with Down syndrome, but in that disorder the tongue is actually large only in relationship to a smaller-than-normal mouth cavity.
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- Macrognathia
An abnormally large jaw. Macrognathia can be associated with pituitary gigantism, tumors, and other disorders. Macrognathia can often be corrected with surgery. Also known as prognathic mandible.
- Macrolide
One in a class of antibiotics that includes Biaxin, Clarithromycin, Ery-Tab, and Erythromycin. The macrolides inhibit the growth of bacteria and are often prescribed to treat rather common bacterial infections. In more technical terms, the macrolides are a group of antibiotics produced by various strains of Streptomyces (spore forming bacteria that grow slowly in soil […]
- Macroorchidism
Abnormally large testes. To determine if the testes are too large, a device called an orchidometer is used that permits a testis to be compared to a series of plastic ovals (like miniature American footballs) of differing sizes. Macroorchidism is a diagnostic feature, for example, of the fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form […]
- Macrophage
A type of white blood cell that ingests foreign material. Macrophages are key players in the immune response to foreign invaders of the body, such as infectious microorganisms. They are normally found in the liver, spleen, and connective tissues of the body.
- Macrophagic myofasciitis
A muscle disease first identified in 1993, macrophagic myofasciitis is named for the findings seen in tissue from muscle biopsies, namely an abnormal infiltrate surrounding muscle tissue of specialized immune cells called “macrophages,” a type of immune cell important to swallowing and destroying microorganisms. They also assist other immune cells in the body’s response to […]