muscular dystrophy

noun

Pathology.

1. a hereditary disease characterized by gradual wasting of the muscles with replacement by scar tissue and fat, sometimes also affecting the heart.

muscular dystrophy

noun

1. a genetic disease characterized by progressive deterioration and wasting of muscle fibres, causing difficulty in walking

muscular dystrophy

1. Any of a group of inherited progressive muscle disorders caused by a defect in one or more genes that control muscle function and characterized by gradual irreversible wasting of skeletal muscle.

muscular dystrophy

1. A hereditary disease in which the muscles progressively waste away. The disease can be potentially treated through gene therapy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of muscular dystrophy¹

First recorded in 1865–70