| Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | G71.0 |
| ICD-9 | 359.1 |
| OMIM | 164300 |
| DiseasesDB | 29869 |
| MeSH | D039141 |
Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an autosomal dominant[1] neuromuscular disease which appears in early middle age (sixth decade).[2] OPMD is an example of a trinucleotide repeat disorder caused by expanding (GCN)10 to (GCN)11-17 at the 5' end of the coding region for PABPN1. This expands the polyalanine tract at the N-terminus of PABPN1 from 10 to 11-17 alanines.[3][4]
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Progressive ptosis (drooping of eyelids) and weakness of the extraocular muscles is the initial clinical finding which continues until paralysis of all eye movements occurs; however, pupillary reactions remain unaffected. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), facial weakness and proximal limb weakness develops later on in the disease. [2]
A muscle biopsy reveals abnormal vacuoles within muscle fibres. A distinction between OPMD and myasthenia gravis or mitochondrial myopathy must be made. The absence of family history and the fluctuation of symptoms in myasthenia gravis usually distinguish the two conditions.[5]
The disease is frequently seen in French Canadians, with a prevalence 1:1000. A 1997 study from Israel showed the second largest cluster of known individuals are of Bukhara Jews from Uzbekistan, with a calculated minimal prevalence of 1:600. [6] The disease is uncommon in Asian populations. [7]
Treatment is supportive to the patient with death eventually occurring from infections. Difficulty with swallowing may result in nasogastric feeding.[3] Some surgeries are available that can reduce ptosis and dysphagia.[8]
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