Becker's muscular dystrophy is an X-linked inherited muscular dystrophy with the disorder occurring at locus Xp21.2. It is a less severe from of muscular dystrophy than Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Incidence is 1 in 20,000 live births.
Clinical features include the fact that these patients usually become wheelchair-bound in their 30's and survive for approximately a further 20 years. Progressive muscular weakness is the key problem. As in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, calf pseudohypertrophy is present.
Female carriers may have trivial clinical features of the disease and occasionally a raised serum creatinine kinase. In patients affected by Becker's muscular dystrophy, the creatinine kinase may be 30 to 300 times normal values. Similarly, there may be abnormal electromyogram and muscle biopsy findings.
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