title: Molecular diagnosis of myopathies.
abstract: Neuromuscular diseases (NMD) constitute a group of phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous disorders, characterized by (progressive) weakness and atrophy of proximal and/or distal muscles. The objective of molecular testing is to confirm the pathogenicity of a relevant sequence variation by correlating an individual's phenotype with what is expected in a given condition. Within the last two decades the application of molecular genetic strategies has led to a delineation of subgroups of clinically indistinguishable NMDs and has disclosed marked disease overlap. The expanding number of molecular defined NMDs requires new strategies to classify overlapping and clinical indistinguishable phenotypes.
authors: Department of Medicine, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, HSC 2H22, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8 N 3Z5.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Gomez-Vargas
authors: Steven K
authors: SK
authors: Baker
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length