myotonia congenita

9.9

A rare inherited condition that makes muscles slow to relax after you move them

noun
/ˌmaɪəˈtoʊniə kənˈdʒɛnɪtə/

Specialized

: miotonia congénita

Individuals with myotonia congenita often experience difficulty relaxing their muscles after exercise.

Examples

The patient was diagnosed with myotonia congenita after reporting muscle stiffness since early childhood.
Genetic counseling may be recommended for families affected by myotonia congenita.
The doctor diagnosed him with myotonia congenita last week.
She has been living with myotonia congenita her whole life.
Individuals with myotonia congenita often experience difficulty relaxing their muscles after exercise.
The patient was diagnosed with myotonia congenita after reporting muscle stiffness since early childhood.
Genetic counseling may be recommended for families affected by myotonia congenita.

Synonyms

Thomsen's disease

vsmyotonia congenita

Specialized

9.9

An inherited muscle problem that makes muscles slow to relax after they move

describes a hereditary condition marked by delayed relaxation after voluntary contraction

Surface Forms

myotonia congenita singular

myotonia congenitas plural

Morphology

myotonia + congenita

The phrase is fully compositional: 'myotonia' denotes slow muscle relaxation and 'congenita' is the Latin form of 'congenital' (present from birth), so together they mean a congenital (hereditary, present-at-birth) myotonia. Despite being a technical, Latin-derived medical term, its meaning is directly derivable from the constituent parts for a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Myotonia congenita comes from word parts that mean 'muscle' and 'born with': myo- means 'muscle', -tonia means 'tightness', and congenita means 'born with'. The name gives the image of muscles that stay tight and are slow to relax after use, so it refers to a problem of muscle stiffness that often runs in families.