Comprehensive Study of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at Sohag University Hospital

Muscular dystrophies are a heterogenous group of inherited muscular disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness. Historically, these disorders are difficult to treat. In the last three decades, there is a great progress in molecular and genetic basis of these disorders; early diagnosis is achievable with proper clinical recognition and advanced genetic testing .Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular muscular X-linked recessive disorders that belong to a group of disorders known as dystrophinopathies. DMD characterized by a progressive degeneration of skeletal muscles, with symptoms that manifest early, at around 3 years, causing loss of ambulation within the 13 years of life, followed by cardiac complication (e.g., dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia) and respiratory disorders, including chronic respiratory failure. The unique medical treatment available is steroid therapy, which appears to prolong walking capacity by at least two years. Thus, besides medical treatment, the physical therapy in multidisciplinary care is imperative for alleviating muscle atrophy, skeletal deformities, and motor function deterioration.