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MSH (MeSH) - Metathesaurus Representation


This page lists UMLS Metathesaurus data elements and traces them back to the specific source data that populates them.

VSAB:MSH2023_2023_02_03


Summary of Changes:

There were no changes to the original file format or to the Metathesaurus source processing.


Source Provided Files:

  The UMLS uses MeSH xml files can be downloaded from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/download/mesh.html
  • desc2023.xml
  • qual2023.xml
  • supp2023.xml

Identifiers:

Descriptor Records Qualifier Records Supplementary Concept Records Hierarchical Terms
CODE DescriptorUI QualifierUI SupplementalRecordUI Identifier generated during source processing, in the format U######
SAUI Not applicable
Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable
SCUI ConceptUI ConceptUI ConceptUI Not applicable
SDUI DescriptorUI QualifierUI SupplementalRecordUI Identifier generated during source processing, in the format U###### (same as CODE)

Atoms (MRCONSO):

Term Type Description Origin
CE Entry term for a Supplementary Concept CODE = SupplementaryRecordUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = SupplementaryRecordUI
File: supp*.xml
TTY = CE is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "N"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "N"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
DEV Descriptor entry version CODE = DescriptorUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><EntryVersion>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = DescriptorUI
File: desc*.xml
DSV Descriptor sort version CODE = DescriptorUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><SortVersion>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = DescriptorUI
File: desc*.xml
ET Entry term CODE = DescriptorUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = DescriptorUI
File: desc*.xml
TTY = ET is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "N"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "N"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
HS Short/alternate form of hierarchical term CODE = Identifier generated during source processing, in the format U######
STR = Created from data provided by MeSH; not released in xml format
SCUI = Not populated
SDUI = Identifier generated during source processing, in the format U######
This data is added during Metathesaurus source processing
HT Hierarchical term CODE = Identifier generated during source processing, in the format U######
STR = Created from data provided by MeSH; not released in xml format
SCUI = Not populated
SDUI = Identifier generated during source processing, in the format U######
This data is added during Metathesaurus source processing
MH Main heading CODE = DescriptorUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = DescriptorUI
File: desc*.xml
TTY = EP is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "Y"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "Y"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
N1 Chemical Abstracts Service Type 1 name of a chemical CODE = SupplementalRecordUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><CASN1Name>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = SupplementalRecordUI
File: supp*.xml
NM Name of Supplementary Concept CODE = SupplementalRecordUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = SupplementalRecordUI
File: supp*.xml
TTY = NM is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "Y"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "Y"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
PCE Preferred entry term for Supplementary Concept CODE = DescriptorUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = DescriptorUI
File: supp*.xml
TTY = PCE is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "N"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "Y"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
PEP Preferred entry term CODE = DescriptorUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = DescriptorUI
File: desc*.xml
TTY = PEP is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "N"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "Y"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
PM Machine permutation CODE = DescriptorUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = DescriptorUI
File: desc*.xml
TTY = PM is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "N"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "N"
IsPermutedTermYN = "Y"
PXQ Preferred qualifier term CODE = QualifierUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI =QualifierUI
File: qual*.xml
TTY = PXQ is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "N"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "Y"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
QAB Qualifier abbreviation CODE = QualifierUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><Abbreviation>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = QualifierUI
Suppress="Y"
QEV Qualifier entry version CODE = QualifierUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><EntryVersion>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = QualifierUI
QSV Qualifier sort version CODE = QualifierUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><SortVersion>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = QualifierUI
TQ Preferred qualifier term CODE = QualifierUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = QualifierUI
File: qual*.xml
TTY = TQ is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "Y"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "Y"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"
XQ Alternate name for a qualifier CODE = QualifierUI
STR = value of <TermList><Term><String>
SCUI = ConceptUI
SDUI = QualifierUI
File: qual*.xml
TTY = XQ is assigned to records where:
RecordPreferredTermYN = "N"
ConceptPreferredTermYN = "N"
IsPermutedTermYN = "N"

Attributes (MRSAT):

Attribute Name Description Origin: XML tag XML file(s)
AN Annotation <Annotation> desc*.xml
qual*.xml
AQL Allowable Qualifier List <AllowableQualifiersList> desc*.xml
CX Consider Also Note <ConsiderAlso> desc*.xml
DC Descriptor class <DescriptorRecord DescriptorClass> desc*.xml
DQ
Date Qualifier Established <DateEstablished><Year><Month><Day> qual*.xml
DX Date major descriptor established <DateEstablished><Year><Month><Day> desc*.xml
EC Entry combination <EntryCombination>
<ECIN><QualifierReferredTo><QualifierName>:
<ECOUT><DescriptorReferredTo><DescriptorName>/<QualifierReferredTo><QualifierName>
desc*.xml
FR MeSH frequency <Frequency> supp*.xml
FX See Related mapping <SeeRelatedDescriptor> desc*.xml
HM Heading Mapped To <HeadingMappedToList><HeadingMappedTo><DescriptorUI> supp*.xml
HN History Note <HistoryNote> desc*.xml, qual*.xml
II Indexing Information <IndexingInformationList><IndexingInformation><DescriptorUI> (optional QualifierUI) or <SupplementalRecordUI> supp*.xml
LT Lexical tag <LexicalTag>
Only LexicalTags with value = "TRD" are included in the Metathesaurus
desc*.xml
supp*.xml
MDA Date of entry <DescriptorRecord|QualifierRecord|SupplementaryRecord><DateCreated><Year><Month><Day> desc*.xml
qual*.xml
supp*.xml
MMR Revision date <DateRevised><Year><Month><Day> desc*.xml
qual*.xml
supp*.xml
MN Hierarchical number for tree structures. <TreeNumber> desc*.xml
qual*.xml
OL Online note <OnlineNote> desc*.xml
qual*.xml
PA Pharmacologic action <PharmacologicalAction><DescriptorReferredTo><DescriptorUI> desc*.xml
supp*.xml
PI Previous indexing <PreviousIndexing> supp*.xml
PM Public note <PublicMeSHNote> desc*.xml
RN Registry Number <RegistryNumber> (any leading zeroes are dropped) desc*.xml
supp*.xml
RR Related Chemical Abstracts Registry number <RelatedRegistryNumber> desc*.xml
supp*.xml
SC Supplemental record class <SupplementalRecord SCRClass> supp*.xml
SOS Scope statement <Note> supp*.xml
SRC Literature source of chemical name <Source> supp*.xml
TERMUI Term unique identifier <TermUI> desc*.xml
qual*.xml
supp*.xml
TH Thesaurus ID <ThesaurusID> desc*.xml
supp*.xml

Definitions (MRDEF):

Origin
XML tag: <ScopeNote>
Files: dmesh*.xml, qmesh*.xml

Relationships (MRREL):

REL RELA/Inverse RELA Origin XML File(s)
CHD
PAR
(no rela) Represent the hierarchy as created from the values in the <TreeNumber> tags in dmesh and qmesh. Official MeSH xml release files do not include the top levels of a hierarchy, so additional top level concepts are created and maintained in separate files. desc*.xml
qual*.xml
AQ
QB
(no rela) Connect descriptors with allowable qualifiers. Extracted from the <AllowableQualifiersList> tag in desc*.xml desc*.xml
RB
RN
(no rela) Connect: <ConceptRelation> <Concept1UI> to <ConceptRelation><Concept2UI>
Created where:
<ConceptRelation RelationName="NRW">
<ConceptRelation RelationName="BRD">
desc*.xml
qual*.xml
supp*.xml
RB
RN
inverse_isa
isa
Connect: [<DescriptorRecord><DescriptorUI> or <SupplementalRecord><SupplementalRecordUI>] to <PharmacologicalAction>< DescriptorReferredTo><DescriptorUI> desc*.xml
supp*.xml
RB
RN
mapped_from
mapped_to
Connect: <SupplementalRecord><SupplementalRecordUI> to <HeadingMappedTo><DescriptorReferredTo><DescriptorUI>

Note: In cases where the <HeadingMappedTo> tag includes a <QualifierReferredTo>, an "RO|mapping_qualifier_of/has_mapping_qualifier" relationship will also be created. To pair the qualfier relationship with the correct mapped_to relationship, the same value for MRREL.RG (relationship group) is assigned.
supp*.xml
RO (no rela) SDUI - SDUI:
Connect:
<DescriptorRecord><DescriptorUI> to <SeeRelatedDescriptor><DescriptorReferredTo><DescriptorUI>

SCUI - SCUI:
Connect: <ConceptRelation><Concept1UI> to <ConceptRelation><Concept2UI>
Created where: <ConceptRelation RelationName="REL">
desc*.xml
supp*xml (SCUI - SCUI only)
qual*xml (SCUI - SCUI only)
RO mapping_qualifier_of
has_mapping_qualifier
<SupplementalRecord><SupplementalRecordUI> to <HeadingMappedTo><QualifierReferredTo><QualifierUI>

Note: mapping_qualifier_of/has_mapping_qualifier relationships are always paired with mapped_to/mapped_from relationships connecting Supplementary Concept records to Descriptor records. To pair the qualifier relationship with the correct mapped_to relationship, the same value for MRREL.RG (relationship group) is assigned.
supp*.xml
SY entry_version_of
has_entry_version
Connect: AUI of <TermList><Term><String> with AUI of string in <EntryVersion> tag desc*.xml
SY expanded_form_of
has_expanded_form
Connect: AUI of <TermList><Term><String> with AUI of string in <Abbreviation> tag qual*.xml
SY has_permuted_term
permuted_term_of
For atoms with the same TERMUI, connects: AUI of string where IsPermutedTermYN="N" to AUI of string where IsPermutedTermYN="Y" desc*.xml
SY has_sort_version
sort_version_of
Connect: AUI of <TermList><Term><String> with AUI of string in <SortVersion> tag desc*.xml

The hierarchy is created from values in the <TreeNumber> tags in desc*.xml and qual*.xml. Official MeSH xml release files do not include the top levels of a hierarchy, so additional top level concepts are created and maintained in separate files.


Mappings (MRMAP):

No mappings are represented for MeSH.