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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > M > Muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Inherited myopathy; MD

Definition:

Muscular dystrophy is a group of disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue.

Causes and Risks

The group of diseases called muscular dystrophies includes many inherited disorders such as:

Disorders are distinguished by the type of inheritance (sex-linked, dominant genes , or recessive gene, and so on), the age when symptoms appear, and the types of symptoms that develop. Because these are inherited disorders, risks include a family history of muscular dystrophy.

Lambert-Eaton syndrome and myasthenia gravis have symptoms that may be similar to early stages of some types of muscular dystrophies.

Ency. home > Disease > M > Muscular dystrophy

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