megalencephalyn.
/ˌmɛɡəlɛnˈsɛfəli/, /ˌmɛɡəlɛnˈsɛfl̩i/, /ˌmɛɡəlɛnˈkɛfəli/, /ˌmɛɡəlɛnˈkɛfl̩i/, U.S. /ˌmɛɡəlˌɛnˈsɛfəli/ Medicine.
Enlargement of all or part of the brain (and usually the head), occurring as a benign inherited trait or as a manifestation of various metabolic or developmental abnormalities. Also: a form of this.
ΚΠ
1900 H. M. Fletcher in Trans. Pathol. Soc. 51 232 It would be preferable, on this account, to use [sc. for cerebral hypertrophy] the term ‘megalencephaly’, suggested by my friend Dr. Andrewes.
1935 R. McIntosh tr. J. Ibrahim in M. G. Peterman Dis. Children V. 181 The abnormal weight of the brain may be due to true hyperplasia of the nerve elements or to glia overgrowth, interstitial megalencephaly.
1972 Neurology 22 635/1 In the anatomic megalencephalies the large brain results from an increase in the size or number of cells.
1987 Brit. Jrnl. Radiol. 60 395 (title) Congenital hemicerebral arterial ectasia complicating unilateral megalencephaly.
1992 N. R. C. Roberton et al. Textbk. Neonatol. (ed. 2) xxxv. 1127/1 A large head without a bulging fontanelle or separate sutures and growing at a normal rate usually indicates a harmless, familial megalencephaly.
Derivatives
megalenceˈphalic adj.
ΚΠ
1900 Lancet 2 June 1589/1 Megalencephalic would be a more suitable name.
1958 A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. & Psychiatry (Chicago) 79 151 (title) The megalencephalic phase of infantile amaurotic familial idiocy.
1972 Neurology 22 635/1 The residual megalencephalic patients..constituted the study group.
1993 Amer. Jrnl. Dis. Children 147 990/1 The Apert brain is megalencephalic..and the cranium is disproportionately high.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1900