Myopathy is a disease in which the death of nerve endings causes the muscle fibers to degrade, and muscle atrophy occurs. Until recently, it was believed that such a disease, as myopathy, is only hereditary. However, it is proved that injuries and infections, lack of vitamins, inflammatory processes can also provoke the development of muscle dystrophy.
Symptoms of myopathy
Development of the disease begins at an early age. However, with non-genetic reasons for the occurrence of myopathy, its development may also occur in a more mature age.
The patient has weakness and muscle atrophy in a certain area. Depending on the type of disease, mainly the muscles of the shoulder girdle and pelvis, as well as limbs, are affected. The development of atrophy occurs symmetrically. Against this background, other muscle groups can be hypertrophically increased due to fat and connective tissue. Such enlarged muscles have a high density.
So, what is it such a myopathy, and what kinds of diseases are found most often, we will understand further.
Depending on the genetic transformations of a number of muscles that have undergone pathology, and the age of the patient, myopathy is divided into several forms.
Types of myopathy
Juvenal form of Erb
The hereditary form of Erb's myopathy manifests itself closer to the second decade and affects the pelvic muscles, then extending to the shoulder girdle. Often observed hyperlordosis - the curvature of the spine forward due to atrophy of the muscles of the back and abdomen. The mimic muscles of the mouth are broken, lips thrust out, the patient is unable to smile. The gait changes.
Bekker's myopathy
Benecker's benign hypertrophic myopathy affects the proximal muscles of the legs. The onset of the disease proceeds slowly with an apparent increase in gastrocnemius muscles and a further spread of atrophy to the hip muscle group.
For some time the patient has the opportunity of independent movement. For Becker's myopathy, heart failure is characteristic.
Myopathy Landuzi-Dezherina
The manifestation of the disease begins in adolescence and is characterized by atrophy of the facial muscles of the face. In this case, the patient has a twisting of the lips, the eyelids do not fall, and the face is practically immobilized.
Atrophy extends to the muscles of the shoulder girdle, but the work capacity is maintained for a long time.
Myopathy of the eye
Myopathy of the eye is a gradual decrease in the mobility of the eyeballs with full or partial preservation of vision, and sometimes the destruction of the pigmentation of the retina is present. What is the eye myopathy revealed not immediately, mistakenly believing that such symptoms are characteristic of the primary lesion of oculomotor apples.
There are two types of pathology:
- ocular myopathy;
- oculo-farengesal.
In the second case, the muscles of the pharynx are affected.
Inflammatory myopathy
When infection of the body with certain types of bacteria and the inflammation in the skeletal muscles, there is myopathy, which is characterized by weakness in the body, pain in the tissues, swelling and decreased activity. This type of disease can be treated with glucocorticosteids.
There are various forms of inflammatory myopathy:
- polymyositis;
- dermatomyosis;
- rheumatic polymyalgia;
- myositis of the eyeball.
Treatment of myopathy
In general, the treatment is symptomatic, aimed at:
- restoration of metabolic processes in cells;
- treatment of neurology;
- improvement of neuromuscular conduction.
Apply physiotherapy, swimming gymnastics. A positive effect is the use of anabolic hormonal drugs, ATP.
All procedures are performed to alleviate the condition of the patient and to slow down the process of muscle degradation, but they are ineffective and do not affect the course of the disease.