Because
of how it progresses, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy or FSHD
is among several disorders that are difficult to detect using current
testing methods. This is likely due to the fact that severity, age of
onset, and progression of this hereditary muscular disorder vary
greatly. Some might notice symptoms in their teens, but studies show
muscle weakness can start at infancy. Other people, on the other
hand, only have mild FSHD that they don't notice its symptoms at all
and are only diagnosed after a more affected family member has been
diagnosed with FSHD.
People
experience various symptoms depending on how mild or strong the
disease is. Symptoms range from abdominal muscle weakness, mild
hearing loss and abnormalities of the retina to facial weakness, hip
weakness and shoulder weakness, among a host of other symptoms.
Detecting
FSHD Progression
Standard
testing methods prove insufficient in detecting the condition's
progress, however, doctors have found a better way to detect this
slowly progressing disease. Through magnetic resonance imaging or
MRI,
muscle changes can be seen and measured. For instance, through MRI,
muscle loss and fat infiltration in thigh muscles have been observed
are considered progression. Previously, using less sensitive testing
methods, doctors failed to detect this type of muscle change.
How
Patients Will Benefit
Doctors
might find the use of MRI to be a better way to assess muscle
changes, but it has yet to supplant current methods as the standard
in measuring disease progression. MRI can also be used as a reliable
and noninvasive method in assessing or measuring the possible effects
of therapeutic interventions.
Sources:
MRI
Spots Progression of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Better
Than Standard Methods, Study Reports,
musculardystrophynews.com
Long-term
follow-up of MRI changes in thigh muscles of patients with
Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy: A quantitative study,
journals.plos.org
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