What causes proximal muscle weakness?
Proximal myopathy presents as symmetrical weakness of proximal upper and/or lower limbs. There is a broad range of underlying causes including drugs, alcohol, thyroid disease, osteomalacia, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), hereditary myopathies, malignancy, infections and sarcoidosis.
How do I know if my child has muscular dystrophy?
Muscular dystrophy is usually diagnosed in children between 3 and 6 years of age. Early signs of the illness include a delay in walking, difficulty rising from a sitting or lying position, and frequent falling, with weakness typically affecting the shoulder and pelvic muscle as one of the initial symptoms.
What causes muscle loss in children?
Duchenne [doo-SHEN] muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic condition that weakens your child’s muscles. It is the most common muscular dystrophy, a kind of inherited muscle disease. DMD causes weakness and muscle loss that spreads throughout your child’s body.
How do you test for proximal myopathy?
You may be asked to examine a patient who has weakness, falls, difficulty climbing stairs etc. Power (MRC grade) and palpate muscles for bulk and tenderness. Ask patient to rise from sitting with arms crossed.
What age does muscular dystrophy appear?
Onset usually occurs in the teenage years but can begin in childhood or as late as age 50. Congenital. This type affects boys and girls and is apparent at birth or before age 2. Some forms progress slowly and cause only mild disability, while others progress rapidly and cause severe impairment.
What is Becker muscular dystrophy?
Becker muscular dystrophy (often called Becker MD or BMD) is a form of muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that gradually makes the body’s muscles weaker and smaller. It causes less severe problems than the most common type, Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
When do the first symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy occur?
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy It usually starts when a child is between ages 2 and 5. Symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy include: Muscle weakness that begins in the hips, pelvis, and legs. Difficulty standing.
How long does a child live with muscular dystrophy?
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common type of muscular dystrophy. Life expectancy with this type is around the ages of 16 to the early 20s. Becker muscular dystrophy has higher life expectancy, usually in the 30s. Some muscular dystrophies are highly variable, such as congenital, Emery-Dreifuss, and myotonic.