Alternative Names & Classifications:
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (CLINICAL)
Description
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive genetic condition caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein essential for keeping muscle cells intact. Without dystrophin, muscle fibers undergo repeated cycles of necrosis and regeneration, ultimately being replaced by fat and fibrotic tissue. It almost exclusively affects male children, with signs of progressive muscle degeneration usually appearing between ages 2 and 3.