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Becker muscular dystrophy with early manifestation of left heart failure
H Miyashita1, U Ikeda, K Shimada
1Department of Cardiology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan.
Insights
Becker muscular dystrophy can initially present as heart failure without muscle weakness. This suggests dilated cardiomyopathy cases may be undiagnosed Becker muscular dystrophy, warranting dystrophin testing.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Genetics
Background:
- Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is a genetic disorder affecting muscle strength.
- Severe cardiac involvement is considered rare in early-stage BMD.
- Diagnostic limitations historically hindered early identification of cardiac manifestations.
Abstract:
We encountered a case of dystrophin-verified Becker muscular dystrophy which exhibited left heart failure as an initial symptom but no subjective muscle weakness. Severe cardiac involvement has been thought to rarely occur in the early stage of this disease, however accurate diagnosis was limited until the dystrophin diagnosis became available. This case suggests that some cases of dilated cardiomyopathy might be Becker muscular dystrophy, and that dystrophin tests should be added to the conventional investigation of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.