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Becker muscular dystrophy
Becker muscular dystrophy A chronic, progressive muscle degeneration disease. A form of muscular dystrophy that is quite similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, except that patients with Becker do produce some of the key protein, dystrophin, whereas those with Duchenne do not. Progression of the disease in Becker type is slower than in Duchenne, and symptoms may appear as late as the mid-twenties. Becker muscular dystrophy is a mild version of Duchenne. Both diseases result from mutations in the huge gene in region Xp21.2 on the X chromosome that encodes dystrophin. (The other principal form of X-linked, late-onset muscular dystrophy is Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, which results from mutation in the gene encoding emerin on Xq28.)
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Chronic
Ongoing or recurring. Chronic medical conditions include diabetes, epilepsy, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Muscle
Tissue made up of bundles of long, slender cells that contract when stimulated.
Disease
Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.
Dystrophy
Partial atrophy of tissue or an organ as a result of imperfect cell nutrition.
Protein
Any of a group of complex organic compounds which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and usually sulfur, the characteristic element being nitrogen. Proteins, the principal constituents of the protoplasm of all cells, are of high molecular weight and consist essentially of combinations of a-amino acids in peptide linkages. Twenty different amino acids are commonly found in proteins, and each protein has a unique genetically defined amino acid sequence which determines its specific shape and function. Their roles include enzymatic catalysis, transport and storage, coordinated motion, nerve impulse generation and many others.
Dystrophin
A protein, a chemical substance made by muscle fibers.
Gene
1. A unit of DNA that carries information for the biosynthesis of a specific product in the cell. 2. Ultimate unit by which inheritable characteristics are transmitted to succeeding generations in all living organisms. Genes are contained by, and arranged along the length of, the chromosome. The gene is composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Each chromosome of each species has a definite number and arrangement of genes, which govern both the structure and metabolic functions of the cells and thus of the entire organism.
Chromosome
A structural unit within a eukaryotic nucleus that carries genes. A chromosome consists of a long, continuous strand of DNA and associated proteins.
Mutation
A change in DNA that alters a gene and thus the gene's product, leading in some cases to deformity or disease. Mutations can occur spontaneously during cell division or can be triggered by environmental stresses, such as sunlight, radiation, and chemicals.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital
The Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital is a hospital in Beckley, West Virginia, United States.
Beckley ARH Hospital
Beckley ARH Hospital is a hospital in Beckley, West Virginia (USA).
Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
An overgrowth syndrome, whose clinical manifestations typically include macrosomia (large body size), macroglossia (large tongue), omphalocele (exomphalos), organomegaly (enlarged organs), hemihypertrophy (overgrowth of one side of the body), neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar in the newborn period), and ear creases and ear pits.
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BDD
Body dysmorphic disorder.
Beaded vitreous type Stickler syndrome
Stickler syndrome, type II. See: Stickler syndrome.
Beals
See: Beals, Rodney K.
Beat, premature
See: Extrasystole.
Beaufort wind scale
A widely used wind force scale whih is a simple numerical relationship to wind speed based on an observation of the effects of the wind. The Beaufort wind scale is of importance in preparations for a tropical storm or hurricane.
Becker muscular dystrophy
Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
An overgrowth syndrome, whose clinical manifestations typically include macrosomia (large body size), macroglossia (large tongue), omphalocele (exomphalos), organomegaly (enlarged organs), hemihypertrophy (overgrowth of one side of the body), neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar in the newborn period), and ear creases and ear pits.
Bedblocker
See: Bed blocker.
Bed blocker
"A patient who uses a hospital bed for a long period of time because they are chronically ill. The patient inadvertently blocks the use of the bed by other patients. The term ""bed blocker"" appears to date back into the 1980s."
Bed bug
A blood-sucking bug in the Cimex family that lives hidden in bedding or furniture, coming out at night to bite their victims.
Bed sore
A painful, often reddened area of degenerating, ulcerated skin caused by pressure and lack of movement, and worsened by exposure to urine or other irritating substances on the skin. Untreated bed sores can become seriously infected or gangrenous. Bed sores are a major problem for patients who are confined to bed or a wheelchair. They can be prevented by moving the patient frequently, changing bedding, and keeping the skin clean and dry. Also called a pressure sore, decubitus sore, or decubitus ulcer.
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