[Asymmetrical patchy muscle involvement in manifesting carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy--computed tomographical and histological study].

Two cases of manifesting carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) were described. Case 1. The 41 year-old woman presented gait disturbance at the age of 40. She had two sons. The first son died of pneumonia soon after birth. The second son developed DMD and died of heart failure when he was 17 years old. Neurological examination revealed mild muscle weakness in neck flexors, gluteus maximus (left side dominance) and hamstrings (right side dominance) as well as bilateral calf pseudohypertrophy. Electromyography showed myopathic changes and serum creatine kinase (CK) was elevated (1941IU/l). The karyotype was 46XX. Computed tomography (CT) of skeletal muscles showed that the following muscles were partly replaced by fatty tissue: bilateral paravertebral muscles, left gluteus maximus, left quadriceps femoris, right adductor magnus, long head of right biceps femoris, bilateral peroneus longus and medial head of left gastrocnemius. Histological examination of left quadriceps femoris revealed only minimal change of focal endomysial proliferation and fiber size variation, demonstrating no necrotic fiber or no abnormalities in fiber type. Case 2. The 42 year-old woman was admitted to the hospital complaining of dyspnea and palpitation. The disease was initially diagnosed as myocardial infarction based on cardiomegaly, ECG abnormality (Q in aVL, V5,6., ST depression and negative T in V5,6, ST elevation in I, aVL) and elevated serum CK. However, the diagnosis was rejected due to the lack of subsequent changes in ECG and the continued elevation of serum CK even after her complaints had disappeared.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)