Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD): Inherited, sex-linked, recessive, muscle-destroying disease. Females are carriers of the abnormal gene, but the disease almost exclusively strikes males. The gene results in the lack of an important protein called dystrophin, which is crucial for maintaining the structural integrity of the sarcolemma. DMD is typically diagnosed between ages 2 and 6 as previously normal children become clumsy and begin to fall more frequently. The degenerative process progresses from the extremities to the head and trunk. Death comes when the diaphragm and other inspiratory muscles are damaged. Patients rarely live beyond their 20s and die of respiratory failure.
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