title: Congenital muscular dystrophy and rigid spine syndrome.
abstract: In three patients with muscular dystrophy, the unexpected occurrence of spinal stiffness suggested a diagnosis of rigid spine syndrome. One case belongs to the benign form of the congenital muscular dystrophies; in the other cases however, the severity and the distribution of the muscular process, associated with neurological abnormalities, seems to correspond to a unique variant of congenital muscular dystrophy. These observations underline the heterogeneity of the rigid spine syndrome.
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013577:Syndrome