This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
Doctor Emery states in the preface of this monograph on Duchenne muscular dystrophy that his intention was to present a broad picture of the disease that might be of interest to all those involved in the field. He has accomplished this in an excellent fashion.
Topics covered by the author include the history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (which is very enjoyable to read) as well as the clinical features, diagnosis, biochemistry, pathogenesis, genetics, and management of the disease. The clinically oriented chapters and the chapters that discuss the genetic basis of this disease are particularly outstanding. Also noteworthy is a discussion of the psychosocial aspects of the disease that is presented in the chapter on management.
The chapter dealing with the molecular genetics of Duchenne muscular dystrophy is not quite up-to-date because of the rapid advances in this area. Still, the excellent discussion of the approaches used through 1986 to