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

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

Ford has dealt with health issues before, including eye cancer and myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease. —Oliver Gettell, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024

In the comic books, Web is a blind, elderly woman who suffers from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disorder that forces her to use a life support system. —Amethyst Tate, Peoplemag, 8 Aug. 2022

His longtime partner, Keely Stahl, said the cause was myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that weakens the skeletal muscles. —Alex Williams, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023

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