| REVIEW ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2008 | Volume
: 56
| Issue : 3 | Page : 236--247 |
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Eppie M Yiu1, Andrew J Kornberg2
1 Children's Neuroscience Centre, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Australia
2 Children's Neuroscience Centre, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne; Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Department of Pediatrics University of Melbourne, Australia
Correspondence Address:
Andrew J Kornberg
Children's Neuroscience Centre, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3052
Australia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.43441
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an X-linked disorder, is the most common muscular dystrophy in children, presenting in early childhood and characterized by proximal muscle weakness and calf hypertrophy in affected boys. Patients usually become wheelchair-bound by the age of 12 years, and die of cardiorespiratory complications in their late teens to early twenties. Advances in the management of DMD, including treatment with corticosteroids and the use of intermittent positive pressure ventilation have provided improvements in function, ambulation, quality of life and life expectancy, although novel therapies still aim to provide a cure for this devastating disorder. The clinical features, investigations, and management of DMD are reviewed, as well as the latest in some of the novel therapies.
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