Recent advances in muscular dystrophies and myopathies.

Inherited myopathies and muscular dystrophies.

The inherited myopathies and muscular dystrophies are a diverse group of muscle diseases presenting with common complaints and physical signs: weakness, motor delay, and respiratory and bulbar dysfunction. The myopathies are caused by genetic defects in the contractile apparatus of muscle, and defined by distinctive histochemical or ultrastructural changes on muscle biopsy. The muscular dystrop...

Congenital myopathies and congenital muscular dystrophies.

Congenital myopathies and congenital myopathic dystrophies are distinct groups of inherited diseases of muscle, genetically heterogeneous, that manifest in early life or infancy. Congenital myopathic dystrophy is characterized by a dystrophic pattern, whereas no necrotic or degenerative changes are present in congenital myopathies. Much progress has been made in recent years in clarifying the c...

Advances and Perspectives in Muscular Dystrophies

The muscular dystrophies are inherited muscle disorders characterized by weakness and progressive muscle wasting. They can be subdivided in different types, including congenital forms in accordance to distribution of weakness: Duchenne, Becker, Emery-Dreyfuss, limbgirdle, distal, facio-scapulo-humeral, oculofaringeal dystrophy. In this review we will deal with the most recent advances in dystro...

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital myopathies and muscular dystrophies.

Congenital myopathies and muscular dystrophies constitute a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous group of rare inherited diseases characterized by muscle weakness and atrophy, motor delay and respiratory insufficiency. To date, curative care is not available for these diseases, which may severely affect both life-span and quality of life. We discuss prenatal diagnosis and genetic counse...

Advances in Molecular Analysis of Muscular Dystrophies