Correlation 17: Duchenne muscular dystrophy

This trichrome stain of skeletal muscle in cross section reveals many degenerating muscle fibers with increased collagenous connective tissue between the muscle fibers and replacement by adipocytes.

This condition is results from inheritance of an abnormal dystrophin gene. Dystrophin is a sarcolemmal membrane stabilizing protein. Absence of dystrophin leads to degeneration of the muscle fibers and replacement by connective tissues. The onset of the disease occurs in childhood. Since the dystrophin gene is on the X chromosome, the disease is most frequently seen in males, because only one abnormal gene need be present for the disease to be manifested (males have one X and one Y chromosome).