| middle cerebral artery | <anatomy, artery> One of the two large terminal branches (with anterior cerebral artery) of the internal carotid artery; it passes laterally around the pole of the temporal lobe, then posteriorly in the depth of the lateral cerebral fissure; for descriptive purposes it is divided into three parts: 1) the sphenoidal part (M1 segment of clinical terminology), supplying perforating branches to the internal capsule, thalamus, and striate body; 2) the insular part, supplying branches to the insula and adjacent cortical areas; and 3) the terminal part or cortical part, supplying a large part of the central cortical convexity (the latter two collectively forming M2 segment). Synonym: arteria cerebri media. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| middle cervical cardiac nerve | <anatomy, nerve> One of the cardiopulmonary splanchnic nerves conveying postsynaptic sympathetic fibres running downward, from the middle cervical ganglion along the subclavian artery (on the left) or the brachiocephalic (on the right side) to join the cardiac plexus. Synonym: nervus cardiacus cervicalis medius. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle cervical fascia | The layer of fascia investing the infrahyoid muscles and contributing to the formation of the carotid sheath. Synonym: lamina pretrachealis, middle cervical fascia, Porter's fascia, pretracheal layer. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle cervical ganglion | A sympathetic ganglion, of small size and sometimes absent; located at the level of the cricoid cartilage. Synonym: ganglion cervicale medium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle cluneal nerves | Terminal branches of the dorsal primary rami of the sacral nerves, supplying the skin of the mid-gluteal region. Synonym: nervi clunium medii. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle colic artery | <anatomy, artery> Origin, superior mesenteric; distribution, transverse colon; anastomoses, right and left colic. Synonym: arteria colica media. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle colic lymph nodes | Nodes along the middle colic artery and its branches that drain the right colic flexure and most of the transverse colon. Synonym: nodi lymphatici colici medii. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle colic vein | <anatomy, vein> The tributary of the superior mesenteric vein that carries drainage of the transverse colon and accompanies the middle colic artery. Synonym: vena colica media. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle collateral artery | <anatomy, artery> The posterior terminal branch of the profunda brachii, anastomosing with the arteries which form the articular network of the elbow. Synonym: arteria collateralis media. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle constrictor muscle of pharynx | Origin, stylohyoid ligament, lesser cornu of the hyoid bone (chondropharyngeal part) and greater cornu of the hyoid bone (ceratopharyngeal part); insertion, pharyngeal raphe in the posterior wall of the pharynx; action, narrows pharynx in the act of swallowing; nerve supply, pharyngeal plexus. Synonym: musculus constrictor pharyngis medius. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle costotransverse ligament | <anatomy> The ligament that connects the dorsal aspect of the neck of a rib to the ventral aspect of the corresponding transverse process. Synonym: ligamentum costotransversarium, ligamentum colli costae, middle costotransverse ligament. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle cranial fossa | A butterfly-shaped portion of the internal base of the skull posterior to the sphenoidal ridges and limbus and anterior to the crests of the petrous part of the temporal bones and dorsum sellae; it lodges the temporal lobes of the brain in the lateral portions, and the hypophysis centrally. Synonym: fossa cranii media. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle cuneiform bone | A bone of the distal row of the tarsus; it articulates with the medial and lateral cuneiform, navicular, and second metatarsal bones. Synonym: os cuneiforme intermedium, mesocuneiform, middle cuneiform bone, second cuneiform bone, wedge bone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| middle ear | middle ear |
| middle ear mass | <radiology> Glomus tumour (multiple in 10%; 8% malignant), glomus tympanicum, from cochlear promontory, seldom erodes bone, glomus jugulare, invasion of middle ear from below, destruction of bony roof of jugular fossa and bony spur separating vein from carotid artery, abberant carotid artery (no bony margin), enlarged jugular bulb (dehiscent bony covering), cholesteatoma, rhabdomyosarcoma (orbit greater than nasopharynx greater than ear), adenocarcinoma (rare) (12 Dec 1998) |