Becker muscular dystrophy

Becker muscular dystrophy, abbreviated BMD, is an X-linked recessive inherited disorder characterized by slowly progressing muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis. It is a type of dystrophinopathy and is caused by mutations and deletions in any of the 79 exons that encode the large dystrophin protein, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the muscle fiber cell membrane. It is related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy because both result from mutation in the dystrophin gene, but Becker is marked by milder in-frame deletions and so has a milder course, with patients who are detected early keeping the ability to walk until 50 to 60 years of age. There is no known cure; management such as physical therapy, braces and corrective surgery may ease symptoms, and assisted ventilation may be needed when the breathing muscles are weak.