Diseases

Paresis

A general term referring to a mild to moderate degree of muscular weakness, occasionally used as a synonym for PARALYSIS (severe or complete loss of motor function). In the older literature, paresis often referred specifically to paretic neurosyphilis (see NEUROSYPHILIS). General paresis and general paralysis may still carry that connotation. Bilateral lower extremity paresis is referred to as PARAPARESIS.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A general term referring to a mild to moderate degree of muscular weakness, occasionally used as a synonym for PARALYSIS (severe or complete loss of motor function). In the older literature, paresis often referred specifically to paretic neurosyphilis (see NEUROSYPHILIS). General paresis and general paralysis may still carry that connotation. Bilateral lower extremity paresis is referred to as PARAPARESIS.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

33 entry terms
  • Muscle Paresis
  • Muscular Paresis
  • Muscle Pareses
  • Muscular Pareses
  • Pareses
  • Pareses, Muscle
  • Pareses, Muscular
  • Paresis, Muscle
  • Paresis, Muscular
  • Brachial Paresis
  • Crural Paresis
  • Hemiparesis
  • Lower Extremity Paresis
  • Monoparesis
  • Upper Extremity Paresis
  • Brachial Pareses
  • Crural Pareses
  • Extremity Pareses, Lower
  • Extremity Pareses, Upper
  • Extremity Paresis, Lower
  • Extremity Paresis, Upper
  • Hemipareses
  • Lower Extremity Pareses
  • Monopareses
  • Pareses, Brachial
  • Pareses, Crural
  • Pareses, Lower Extremity
  • Pareses, Upper Extremity
  • Paresis, Brachial
  • Paresis, Crural
  • Paresis, Lower Extremity
  • Paresis, Upper Extremity
  • Upper Extremity Pareses

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

36 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, transmission, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

remember that "paresis" is sometimes just "paralysis" in foreign lit; spastic paraparesis = PARAPARESIS, SPASTIC or PARAPARESIS, TROPICAL SPASTIC if caused by HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS 1

MeSH Record

History Note

1963; for HEMIPARESIS use HEMIPLEGIA 1974-1999

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. C10w.597.636w
  2. C23.888w.592.643w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

WL 346

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Paresis. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D010291. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D010291
  2. Paresis. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paresis
  3. Paresis. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1126769