rhabdomyolysis

noun rhab·do·my·ol·y·sis \ ˌrab-dō-mī-ˈä-lə-səs \

Updated on: 29 Mar 2018

Definition of rhabdomyolysis

: the destruction or degeneration of muscle tissue (as from traumatic injury, excessive exertion, or stroke) accompanied by the release of breakdown products into the bloodstream and sometimes leading to acute renal failure

Recent Examples of rhabdomyolysis from the Web

She was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, which is a condition that results in the breakdown of muscle tissue, in her arms.

— usa today sports, USA TODAY, "Amy Purdy wins silver in snowboarding at Paralympics," 12 Mar. 2018
Everett immediately went to the ER and was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.

— daniella emanuel, CNN, "Why intense workouts are leading to a life-threatening condition," 9 Mar. 2018
She was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a muscle condition that can severely damage kidneys.

— leanna commins, Cosmopolitan, "12 Things to Know About Amy Purdy, Team USA's World-Class Snowboarder," 23 Jan. 2018
Strenuous activity combined with heat increases the risk for rhabdomyolysis, which can lead to kidney failure and even death.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Lawyers' defense of Tom Jurich overlooks lacrosse lawsuit and accusations of negligence," 25 Oct. 2017
About five months into her expedition, in Fort Morgan, Colo., McCarthy was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a rare but dangerous condition linked with extreme physical exertion, in which muscle breaks down and releases a protein into the bloodstream.

— mary hui, Washington Post, "This Zen priest continued her cross-country trek against climate change even after it resulted in a rare disease," 20 July 2017
One cause of rhabdomyolysis is extreme exercise, which damages soft muscle tissue and can cause discolored urine and lead to kidney damage.

— mark whicker, Orange County Register, "Whicker: Oregon football players hospitalized for no good reason," 17 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rhabdomyolysis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rhabdomyolysis

New Latin, from rhabdo- + my- + -lysis

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1956

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Medical Dictionary

rhabdomyolysis

noun rhab·do·my·ol·y·sis \ ˌrab-dō-mī-ˈäl-ə-səs \

medical Definition of rhabdomyolysis

plural rhabdomyolyses play \-ˌsēz\

: the destruction or degeneration of skeletal muscle tissue (as from traumatic injury, excessive exertion, or stroke) that is accompanied by the release of muscle cell contents (as myoglobin and potassium) into the bloodstream resulting in hypovolemia, hyperkalemia, and sometimes acute renal failure

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Definition of rhabdomyolysis

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rhabdomyolysis

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