Duchenne muscular dystrophy (MD) is a severe MD characterized by muscle degeneration and necrosis. It is caused by a lack of the protein dystrophin within muscles, making the muscles more sensitive to damage and limiting muscle repair mechanisms. This disorder results in the progressive loss of muscle tissue and function. Young patients with Duchenne MD retain muscle function to ambulate, but muscle function deteriorates through childhood, and the patient loses mobility between 10 and 12 years of age. Cardiomyopathy develops late in the disease course. The prognosis is poor for patients with Duchenne MD. A multidisciplinary medical, surgical, and rehabilitative approach to managing the symptoms of Duchenne MD can alter the timeline of the disease course, and improvements in treatments for cardiopulmonary dysfunction over the past 50 years have extended median survival from 25 to 40 years for patients who receive optimal care.
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Cite this: Jasvinder P. Chawla. Fast Five Quiz: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Management - Medscape - May 30, 2023.
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