[Differential diagnosis of Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy]

The Becker's Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) is a disease with similar aspect and distribution to the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), although it is usually less severe. The main purpose of this investigation was to outline the most important clinical characteristics that can help in the differential diagnosis between these two diseases. Thirty eight patients were studied; 16 with BMD and 22 with DMD. Clinically both are very similar, and the best criteria for the differentiation of this two diseases is the inability to walk. The age of symptomatology onset was 10.5 +/- 7.2 years in BMD and 2.3 +/- 13 years in DMD showing an overlapping of 18.42% of DMD and DMB at the age of 4, this overlapping difficult the precise diagnosis between both diseases. The creatine kinase (CK) study was not relevant.