Moya

/ˈmɔɪ.ə/ noun

Definition

A medical condition affecting blood vessels in the brain, causing them to narrow and affecting blood flow.

Etymology

From Japanese "moya-moya" meaning "hazy" or "misty," describing how the abnormal vessels appear on brain imaging. The term was coined by Japanese physicians in the 1960s.

Kelly Says

Moyamoya disease got its name because the tangled blood vessels look like a puff of smoke on X-rays—Japanese physicians literally named this serious neurological condition after the visual appearance!

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