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Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy


What is muscular dystrophy?

Muscular dystrophy is actually a group of diseases transmitted by heredity. They are characterized by symmetrical atrophy of skeletal muscles, which is constantly progressing.

The disease is painless, sensitivity in the limbs is maintained. Interestingly, the dystrophy of the connective tissue of the affected muscles increases in size, which creates a false impression of their power and strength.

The types of muscular dystrophy

This pathology is classified into four main types:

1) Duchenne dystrophy (the most common, accounts for 50% of all diseases);

2) dystrophy Becker;

3) the shoulder-blade-facial dystrophy;

4) limb-girdle dystrophy.

Duchenne dystrophy is inherited and rapidly progressive. It manifests usually in early childhood (1-3 years) and combine with disorders of the cardiovascular system, psyche, muscle atrophy, lesions of bones and joints. Dystrophy Duchenne has an unfavorable course and is already 20 years ends in death.

Violations occur in the first year of life: sick children have weak pelvic muscles, I go hard, can't run, lag behind their peers in psychomotor development. Due to atrophy of the muscles of 9-12 years old, children can't walk and is confined to a wheelchair. There are also cardiovascular disorders (cardiac failure), psychiatric disorders (imbecility, debility, mental retardation). Death most often occurs from heart failure or pneumonia.

Becker's dystrophy has a more favorable course. The clinical symptoms begin to manifest in 10 to 15 years, and the patient may live for over 40 years. Severe symptoms occur at a later age, preserved intellect, the full disability occurs in approximately 20 years.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Becker passed the gene, which is located in the sexual chromosome and suffer from them exclusively males.

Shoulder-blade-facial and limb-girdle dystrophy can occur in both men and women and do not always lead to immobility.

Shoulder-blade-facial dystrophy progresses slowly and has a relatively benign course. The disease occurs predominantly in childhood and early adolescence. Its symptoms are shortness of expressions and movements: when the laughter and the weeping face of the patient issedentary, the baby cannot raise his hands above his head.

When limb-girdle dystrophy affects the shoulder and pelvic girdle, there is weakness of arms and legs. This disease manifests at any age from early childhood to maturity. There is an assumption that what had appeared the symptoms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, the faster and more aggressive it progresses. The main symptoms are gait disturbance (it becomes "duck"), the patient hard to get up and pick up items, he has a weakness in the limbs.

Treatment of muscular dystrophy

Modern medicine has not yet found a means capable of preventing the progression of muscular dystrophy or slow its course. Treatment is mainly aimed at combating the deformities of the spine, strengthening muscles, preventing pneumonia and other related diseases. Doctors use orthotic devices, physiotherapy, performed the surgery helping for some time to maintain a person's ability to move.

Scientists around the world conduct research that can defeat this dangerous pathology. For example, is in the development of gene therapy in adenovirus (conductor) placed the gene responsible for the production of muscle protein dystrophin. The researchers introduced it to mice and obtained encouraging results.