Medical abbreviations and acronyms (M)

This article contains a list of commonly used medical abbreviations and acronyms that start with the letter M and may be encountered in medicine and radiology (please keep in alphabetic order).

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z - misc

• M
  • male
  • marginal artery
  • metastable (isotope)
  • metastatic (TNM system)
  • mega (SI prefix for 10⁶)
  • methionine (single letter amino acid code)
  • metre
  • mitotic (phase)
  • molar (=mols/L)
  • motor (GCS)
• m: milli- (SI prefix for 10^-3)
• M1-M6: segments of middle cerebral artery
• MAC
  • mitral annulus calcification
  • Mycobacterium avium complex
• MAG: magnification
• MAG-3:  mercaptoacetyl triglycine
• MAGiC: magnetic resonance image compilation (GE)
• MAI:
  • minimal aortic injury
  • miscarriage after infertility
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection
  • minimal aortic injury
• MAM: mammogram
• MAMMO: mammogram
• MAO: monoamine oxidase
• MAP
  • magnesium ammonium phosphate
  • mean arterial pressure
• mAs: milliampere-seconds
• Maxfax: maxillofacial surgery/surgeon
• MB
  • bachelor of medicine
  • myoglobin
  • megabyte
  • multiband (imaging)
  • myoglobin
• MBA: motorbike accident
• MBBS: bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery
• mBC: metastatic breast cancer
• MBq: megabecquerel
• M/C
  • miscarriage
  • motorcycle
• MC
  • metacarpal
  • miscarriage
• MCA
  • middle coliccerebral artery
  • middle cerebralcolic artery
• MCG: microgram (preferred to μg)
• MCI: mass casualty incident
• mCi: millicurie
• MCL
  • medial collateral ligament (of the elbow)
  • medial collateral ligament (of the knee)
  • medial collateral ligament (of the elbow)
• MCPJ: metacarpophalangeal joint
• mCRC: metastatic colorectal cancer
• MCS: microscopy, culture, and sensitivity
• MCTD: mixed connective tissue disease
• MCV: middle cardiac vein
• MD
  • Meckel diverticulum
  • muscular dystrophy
  • doctor of medicine (Latin: medicinae doctor)
  • managing director
  • Meckel diverticulum
  • medical director
  • managing directormuscular dystrophy
• Md: mendelevium
• MDA criteria: MD Anderson criteria for assessing response of bone metastases to treatment
• MDCT: multidetector CT
• MDD: major depressive disorder
• MDI: multidirectional instability (of shoulder)
• MD-IPMN: main duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm
• MDM: multidisciplinary (team) meeting
• MDMA: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
• MDP: methylene-diphosphonate
• MDR-TB: multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
• MDT: multidisciplinary team
• MDTM: multidisciplinary team meeting
• ME
  • middle ear
  • medical examiner
• MEB: muscle-eye-brain disease
• MEDIC: multiecho data image combination (Siemens)
• MEDS: medication
• MEG: megalencephaly
• MELAS: mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes
• MELD (score): model of end-stage liver disease
• MEN: multiple endocrine neoplasia
• MERGE: multiple-echo recombined gradient echo (GE)
• MERRF: myoclonic epilepsy with red ragged fibres
• MESA
  • microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration
  • multiethnic study of atherosclerosis
• MET
  • medical expulsive therapy (ureteric calculi)
  • metastasismetabolic equivalent
  • metabolic equivalentmetastasis
• Met
  • metastasis
  • methionine
• MetHb: methaemoglobin
• Mets: metastases
• MF: middle finger
• MFC: medial femoral condyle
• MFFE: multiecho fast field echo (Philips)
• MFH: malignant fibrous histiocytoma
• MG
  • mammogram
  • myasthenia gravismiddle grade (UK physician grade)
  • milligram
  • middle grademyasthenia gravis
• Mg: magnesium
• MGHL: middle glenohumeral ligament
• mGy: milligray
• MGUS
  • monoclonal gammopathy of undetermineduncertain significance
  • monoclonal gammopathy of uncertainundetermined significance
  • monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance
• MH: medical history (or M/H)
• MHC: major histocompatibility complex
• MHV: middle hepatic vein
• MHz: megahertz
• MI
  • mitral incompetence
  • myocardial infarct
  • mitral incompetence
• MIBG: meta-iodobenzylguanidine
• MIBI: methoxyisobutylisonitrile
• Micro
  • microbiology
  • microscopy
• MIDCAB: minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass
• Min: minute
• MinIP: minimum intensity projection
• MIP: maximum intensity projection
• MISME: multiple inherited schwannomas, meningiomas, ependymomas
• ML
  • mediolateral
  • middle lobe
  • mediolateral
• mL: millilitre
• ml: millilitre 
• MLO: mediolateral oblique
• MLS: midline shift
• MM
  • malignant melanoma
  • medial meniscus
  • multiple myeloma
• mm: millimetre
• M&M: morbidity and mortality
• mmHg: millimetres of mercury
• M-mode: motion mode (ultrasound)
• MMR
  • measles, mumps, and rubella (vaccine)
  • mismatch repair (genes)
• MMRV: measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (vaccine)
• MMSE: mini mental status exam
• Mn: manganese
• MNG: multinodular goitre
• MO: myositis ossificans
• Mo
  • molybdenum
  • month
• Mol: mole (SI unit of quantity of substance)
• MOTSA: multiple overlapping thin slab acquisition
• MP
  • megapixel
  • middle phalanx
  • megapixel
• MPA: main pulmonary artery
• mPAP: mean pulmonary artery pressure
• MPD: main pancreatic duct
• MPGN: membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
• MPRAGEMPP: Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia
• MPR: multiplanar reformation or reformats
• MPRAGE: magnetisation-prepared rapid gradient echo
• MPS: mucopolysaccharidoses
• MPV: main portal vein
• MR
  • magnetic resonance
  • mitral regurgitation
• MRA: magnetic resonance angiogram
• MRCP: magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
• MRE
  • magnetic resonance elastography
  • magnetic resonance enterography
  • magnetic resonance elastography
• MRF: mesorectal fascia
• MRI: magnetic resonance imaging
• MRN: medical record number
• mRNA: messenger ribonucleic acid
• MRONJ: medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw 
• MRP: magnetic resonance perfusion
• MRPA: magnetic resonance pulmonary angiography
• MRPI: magnetic resonance parkinsonism index
• MRS: magnetic resonance spectroscopy
• MRSA: meticillin- (or methicillin-) resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• MRV: magnetic resonance venogram
• MS
  • master of surgery
  • mitral stenosis
  • multiple sclerosis
  • master of surgery
• MSA: multisystem atrophy
• MSD: mean sac diameter
• MSE: mental status exam
• MSH: melanocyte-stimulating hormone
• MSK
  • medullary sponge kidney
  • musculoskeletal
• MSSA: meticillin- (or methicillin-) susceptible Staphylococcus aureus
• mSv: millisievert
• MT: metatarsal
• MTA score: medial temporal lobe atrophy score
• MT: metatarsal
• MTC: medullary thyroid carcinoma
• MTPJ: metatarsophalangeal joint
• MTS: mesial temporal sclerosis
• MTSS: medial tibial stress syndrome
• MTT: mean transit time
• MTX: methotrexate
• MUA: manipulation under anaesthesia
• Multips: multipara
• MV: mitral valve
• MVA: motor vehicle accident
• MVC: motor vehicle crash (or collision)
• MVP: mitral valve prolapse
• MVR: mitral valve replacement
• MVV: maximal voluntary ventilation
• MWA: microwave ablation
• Mx
  • management
  • metastases cannot be assessed (TNM)
• MZ
  • monozygote
  • mid zone
  • monozygote