A nose tumor is an abnormal growth that begins inside your nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses. These tumors may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Examples of noncancerous nose tumors include: Nasal polyps. Hemangioma. Examples of cancerous nose tumors include: Squamous cell carcinoma. Adenocarcinoma. Neuroblastoma. Adenoid cystic carcinoma. Sarcoma. What’s the difference between a nasal tumor and a paranasal tumor? The main difference is the …

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a mental health condition that affects how you view yourself and relate to others. Having NPD means you have an excessive need to impress others or feel important. That need can be strong enough to drive harmful behaviors, negatively affecting you and those around you. NPD gets its name from Narcissus, a hunter from Greek …

A quadriceps tendon tear (quadriceps tendon rupture) is a rare but serious injury that makes it difficult for your knee to work properly. Your quads are a group of muscles at the front of your thighs, and your quadriceps tendon connects those muscles to your knee joint. Together, the quadriceps muscles and tendon help you straighten your knee. People who …

Quadrantanopia is a medical term that means you have a loss of vision in one quarter (one-fourth) of your visual field. You can divide your visual field into four parts or quadrants. You have a right and left quadrant on the top and a right and left quadrant on the bottom. Quadrantanopia means that you can’t see out of one …

Q fever is an illness you get from dust or animal products containing the bacterium Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii). Sheep, goats, cattle and other animals can carry C. burnetii. It can get into the soil around them, allowing it to spread to people. Why is it called Q fever? The “Q” in Q fever stands for query. It got the name “query fever” …

Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is a type of soft tissue sarcoma cancer that starts in connective tissues. Connective tissues include bones, cartilage and fat that provide structure and protection around your organs. MFS often grows in your arm or leg and may look like a small lump. Myxofibrosarcoma may grow in connective tissues directly underneath your skin. Or it may grow in …

Myopia is the medical name for nearsightedness, which means that you can see objects that are near clearly but have difficulty seeing objects that are farther away. For example, if you have nearsightedness, you may not be able to make out highway signs until they’re just a few feet away. Myopia affects a significant percentage of people. It’s an eye focus disorder …

Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic condition that arises from inflammation in your muscles and fascia (the thin, connective tissue that surrounds your muscles). “Myo” means muscle and “fascial” means fascia. If your body was an orange, your skin would be the outside orange peel, your muscles would be the fleshy orange fruit itself and the thin white membrane surrounding each orange …

Myoclonus refers to a quick jerking movement that you can’t control. Hiccups are a form of myoclonus, as are the sudden jerks or “sleep starts” that you may feel just before falling asleep. These forms of myoclonus occur in healthy people and usually aren’t serious. Other forms of myoclonus may occur because of a nervous system disorder, such as epilepsy, …

Myocarditis is inflammation of your heart muscle (myocardium). This can weaken your heart muscle, making it more difficult for your heart to pump. This rare condition can affect people quickly or slowly over time. Myocarditis is different from other types of inflammation because each kind happens in a different part of your heart. Pericarditis affects the sac around your heart. Endocarditis is an infection …