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Distrofias musculares

Last reviewed: 12 Aug 2025
Last updated: 29 Jul 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presença de fatores de risco
  • distribuição irregular de força nos membros inferiores
  • contraturas musculotendinosas nos membros inferiores
  • desenvolvimento motor tardio
  • hipertrofia da panturrilha
  • dificuldade de deambulação e quedas
  • tônus muscular e reflexos tendinosos profundos diminuídos
  • sensibilidade normal
  • sinal de Gower
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • caminhar na ponta dos pés
  • hipotonia
  • hiperatividade
  • incontinência urinária e intestinal
  • deficiência intelectual leve a grave
Full details

Risk factors

  • história familiar
  • sexo masculino
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • creatina quinase (CK) sérica
  • teste genético
Full details

Tests to consider

  • eletromiografia (EMG)
  • biópsia muscular
  • RNM muscular
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

DMD: estágio deambulante

DMD: estágio não-deambulante inicial

DMD: estágio não-deambulante tardio

atrofia muscular espinhal (AME)

Contributors

Authors

Pinki Munot, MD

Consultant Paediatric Neurologist

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

London

UK

Disclosures

PM PM is a principal investigator for the Sideros trial in DMD and the ARGNX trial in Myasthenia, and a sub-investigator for the SHINE trial. PM was reimbursed for presenting at the PULSE 65 rare disease day for GPs in December 2023 and for the RCPCH 2022 lunch time symposium by PTC therapeutics.

Acknowledgements

Dr Pinki Munot would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr John R. Bach, Dr Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, and Dr Bilal Saulat, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

JRB, AV, and BS declare that they have no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Lisa D. Hobson-Webb, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Department of Medicine/Neurology

Duke University Medical Center

Durham

NC

Disclosures

LDH-W declares that she has no competing interests.

Martin K. Childers, DO, PhD

Associate Professor Neurology and Regenerative Medicine

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Winston-Salem

NC

Disclosures

MKC declares that he has no competing interests.

Adnan Manzur, FRCPCH

Consultant Paediatric Neurologist

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust

London

UK

Disclosures

AM has been paid an honorarium for giving lectures at the Imperial College Educative Training Courses for GPs and post-graduate doctors. AM is the lead author of the Cochrane review of corticosteroids in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He is also the Lead Clinician of the NorthStar Clinical Network for Management of Neuromuscular Disorders in the UK.

Richard W. Orrell, BSc, MD, FRCP

Senior Lecturer and Consultant Neurologist

Department of Clinical Neuroscience

UCL Institute of Neurology

London

UK

Disclosures

RWO is an author of a reference cited in this topic.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Birnkrant DJ, Bushby K, Bann CM, et al; DMD Care Considerations Working Group. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 1: diagnosis, and neuromuscular, rehabilitation, endocrine, and gastrointestinal and nutritional management. Lancet Neurol. 2018 Mar;17(3):251-67.Full text  Abstract

Birnkrant DJ, Bushby K, Bann CM, et al; DMD Care Considerations Working Group. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 2: respiratory, cardiac, bone health, and orthopaedic management. Lancet Neurol. 2018 Apr;17(4):347-61.Full text  Abstract

Birnkrant DJ, Bushby K, Bann CM, et al; DMD Care Considerations Working Group. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 3: primary care, emergency management, psychosocial care, and transitions of care across the lifespan. Lancet Neurol. 2018 May;17(5):445-55.Full text  Abstract

Feingold B, Mahle WT, Auerbach S, et al. Management of cardiac involvement associated with neuromuscular diseases: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017 Sep 26;136(13):e200-31.Full text  Abstract

Gloss D, Moxley RT 3rd, Ashwal S, et al. Practice guideline update summary: corticosteroid treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2016 Feb 2;86(5):465-72.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
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  • Guidelines

    • Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 1: diagnosis, and neuromuscular, rehabilitation, endocrine, and gastrointestinal and nutritional management
    • Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 2: respiratory, cardiac, bone health, and orthopaedic management
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