Distal myopathy of Gowers: a reappraisal

This article argues against the general idea that the patient described by Gowers as distal myopathy in 1902 may have suffered from myotonic dystrophy. A case of distal myopathy with markedly atrophic sternocleidomastoids is presented. Patients of distal myopathy with absence of sternocleidomastoids, sometimes accompanied by facial weakness, are recorded in the literature. All these cases are sporadic and may be called distal myopathy of Gowers, which is different from Welander's cases.