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Becker's muscular dystrophy - Overview

Alternative Names

Benign pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy; Becker's dystrophy

Definition of Becker's muscular dystrophy:

Becker's muscular dystrophy is an inherited disorder that involves slowly worsening muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Becker's muscular dystrophy is very similar to Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, except that it gets worse at a much slower rate.

The disorder is inherited. Women rarely develop symptoms. Men will develop symptoms if they inherit the defective gene.

Becker's muscular dystrophy occurs in approximately 3 - 6 out of every 100,000 males.

Because this is an inherited disorder, risks include having a family history of Becker's muscular dystrophy.

Superficial anterior muscles

Reviewed last on: 12/17/2008
Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF. Muscular dystrophies. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 608.

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