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Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophies are defined as a group of genetic disorders characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness, and characteristic microscopic changes in the muscle. It is a disease that affects the muscles of an individual. Muscular dystrophies are part of a larger group of disorders known as myopathies, meaning simply that something is wrong with the muscle. (Mys is the Greek word for muscle, and pathos is the Greek word for disease.)

The primary problem in myopathies, including muscular dystrophies, is in the muscles themselves -- not the nerves that control them, the blood vessels that supply them or the bones that support them. This distinguishes dystrophies from other conditions that affect muscles. How ever this group of diseases has three features in common:

Each causes a characteristics:
  • There is a selective pattern of weakness.
  • They are progressive There are some identified Muscular Dystrophies:
    1. Myotonic, also known as Steinert's disease, the most common adult form of muscular dystrophy.
    2. Duchenne, the most common childhood form of muscular dystrophy.
    3. Becker, similar to Duchenne, but with later appearance and slower progression.
    4. Limb Girdle, with onset typically in adolescence or early adulthood.
    5. Fasdoscapulohumerat whose name identifies the first muscles affected.
    6. Congenital, a group of diseases with symptoms noted from birth.
    7. Oculopharyngeal meaning eye and Throat, usually starting with drooping eyelids, most often -in 40's or 50's.
    8. Distal, a group of rare muscle disease with weakness of the distal (farthest from the center) muscles of the fore­arms, hands, lower legs and feet.
    9. Emery-Dreifuss, which causes devel­opment of contractures in childhood and life- threatening heart problems.