Disease or Syndrome
methemoglobinemia
met·he·mo·glo·bi·ne·mi·a [ met-hee-moh-gloh-bih-nee-mee-uh ]
Subclass of:
Hematological Disease
Definitions related to methemoglobinemia:
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A condition in which a higher-than-normal amount of methemoglobin is found in the blood. Methemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen. In methemoglobinemia, tissues cannot get enough oxygen. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, loss of muscle coordination, and blue-colored skin. Methemoglobinemia can be caused by injury or being exposed to certain drugs, chemicals, or foods. It can also be an inherited condition.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Abnormally increased levels of methemoglobin in the blood. In this form of hemoglobin, there is an oxidized ferric iron (Fe +3) rather than the reduced ferrous form (Fe 2+) that is normally found in hemoglobin. Methemoglobin has a reduced affinity for oxygen, resulting in a reduced ability to release oxygen to tissues.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
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An inherited or acquired condition characterized by abnormally increased levels of methemoglobin in the blood.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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The presence of methemoglobin in the blood, resulting in cyanosis. A small amount of methemoglobin is present in the blood normally, but injury or toxic agents convert a larger proportion of hemoglobin into methemoglobin, which does not function reversibly as an oxygen carrier. Methemoglobinemia may be due to a defect in the enzyme NADH methemoglobin reductase (an autosomal recessive trait) or to an abnormality in hemoglobin M (an autosomal dominant trait). (Dorland, 27th ed)NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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A disorder characterized by laboratory test results that indicate increased methemoglobin in the blood.Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse EventsU.S. National Institutes of Health, 2021
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Methemoglobin contains iron in the ferric state (Fe3+) rather than the reduced ferrous form (Fe2+) found in hemoglobin. This structural change causes an alteration in the blood�s ability to bind oxygen.WebMD, 2019
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Methemoglobinemia, decrease in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells (erythrocytes) due to the presence of methemoglobin in the blood. The severity of the symptoms of methemoglobinemia is related to the quantity of methemoglobin present in the circulation and range from a bluish...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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