Minor anomaly


An unusual anatomic feature that is of no serious medical or cosmetic consequence to the patient. A minor anomaly of the feet might, for example, be curvature of the second toe so it overlaps the third toe a little.

A major anomaly, by contrast, might be a cleft lip and palate, a birth defect of serious medical and cosmetic consequence to the child.

Read Also:

  • Minor salivary gland

    A small gland that produces saliva. The mouth and palate contain numerous minor salivary glands.

  • Miosis

    Contraction of the pupil. The opposite of miosis is mydriasis.

  • Miscarriage

    Inadvertent loss of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable. A considerable proportion of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Also known as spontaneous abortion.

  • Miscarriage, multiple

    More than one miscarriage for a woman. In multiple miscarriages, there is about a 5 percent chance that one member of the couple is carrying a chromosome translocation responsible for the miscarriages. Other causes of multiple miscarriage include Rh incompatibility, continuing exposure to teratogens (agents that can injure the fetus), and physical problems in the […]

  • Mismatch repair

    A system within the cell for correcting errors in DNA that works by detecting and replacing bases in the DNA that are wrongly paired (mismatched bases). The system repairs the mismatch. When there is a mismatch in the DNA, a mismatch correction enzyme goes to that strand of DNA and removes a segment of the […]


Disclaimer: Minor anomaly definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.