MERRF syndrome

noun

A rare mitochondrial disease characterized by progressive myoclonic epilepsy and clumps of diseased mitochondria that accumulate in the subsarcolemmal region of the muscle fiber and appear as "ragged red fibers" when stained.

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Meanings

nounMERRF syndrome (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedical geneticsmedicineA rare mitochondrial disease characterized by progressive myoclonic epilepsy and clumps of diseased mitochondria that accumulate in the subsarcolemmal region of the muscle fiber and appear as "ragged red fibers" when stained.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
myoencephalopathy

Origin

Short for "myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers".

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

MERRF syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/MERRF%20syndrome

MLA

“MERRF syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/MERRF%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “MERRF syndrome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/MERRF%20syndrome.

Source: MERRF syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.