Synonyms Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Duchenne’s disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Summary Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common hereditary muscular dystrophy besides “myotonic dystrophy” and shows a marked muscular atrophy already in early childhood. This is caused by a mutation in the genetic blueprint for an important structural protein of the muscle, dystrophin. Because of the … Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Symptoms The affected children usually stand out due to delayed motor development: they move little, learn to walk with a delay, fall frequently and show themselves “clumsy”. After learning to walk, the calves often increase considerably in size, the reason for this is the pseudohypertrophy of the calf muscles outlined above. In the course of … Symptoms | Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Diagnosis Due to the defect of the muscle cell membrane, a strong increase of creatine kinase, an enzyme of the muscle, in the blood of those affected is already apparent from birth. The neurological examination shows a muscle weakness without sensory disturbances or muscle twitches, the reflexes are weak or extinguished. The EMG (electromyography) shows … Diagnosis | Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Prognosis The prognosis of the disease is still unfavorable: The life expectancy of affected persons is on average 20 – 40 years. All articles in this series: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms Diagnosis Prognosis
