title: Evaluation of the cardiomyopathy in Becker muscular dystrophy.
abstract: To evaluate the features and the course of cardiomyopathy in Becker muscular dystrophy, 68 patients--identified by clinical assessment and by reduced dystrophin labeling and/or DNA analysis--were followed in the years 1976-1993, for periods ranging from 3 to 18 years (mean 8). Patients periodically underwent clinical, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, nuclear, and radiological assessments. Preclinical cardiac involvement was found in 67.4% of patients under 16 years of age, decreasing to 30% in patients older than 40. Clinically evident cardiomyopathy was found in 15% of patients under 16 years of age, increasing to 73% in patients older than 40. A real, dilated cardiomyopathy is the most frequent type of myocardial involvement after the age of 20. Results show that the severity of cardiac involvement can be unrelated to the severity of skeletal muscle damage and confirm that cardiac dysfunction is a primary feature of Becker muscular dystrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Second Naples University, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Comi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Politano
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Limongelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: De Rimini
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Giugliano
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Petretta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Passamano
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Restucci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000150:complications*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014463:Ultrasonography