Developmental and maturational aspects of inherited avian myopathies.

Three inherited abnormalities of muscle growth of poultry are an inherited muscular dystrophy of the chicken, deep pectoral myopathy of turkeys and broilers, and focal myopathy of turkeys. The major features of each are described and compared. Cellular and molecular bases of dystrophy of the chicken and treatments to alleviate the disorder are discussed. The pathologic progression and anatomical basis for deep pectoral myopathy are presented. Evidence is given that focal myopathy of the turkey is a growth-dependent disorder. The implications of the idea that such disorders are partly consequences of selection are discussed in the context of the future needs of a poultry industry emphasizing processing of poultry meat.