Question: What is (are) Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy ?
Answer: Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy is a condition that mainly affects skeletal muscles (the muscles used for movement). Affected individuals show severe muscle weakness soon after birth, develop stiff joints (contractures) in their knees and elbows, and may have an unusual range of movement (hypermobility) in their wrists and ankles. This condition is caused by mutations in the COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3 genes. Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy is typically inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. In rare cases, this condition may be inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy? The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Autosomal dominant inheritance - Autosomal recessive inheritance - Congenital muscular dystrophy - Facial palsy - Failure to thrive - Feeding difficulties in infancy - Flexion contracture - Follicular hyperkeratosis - Generalized amyotrophy - High palate - Hip dislocation - Hyperextensibility at wrists - Hyperhidrosis - Increased laxity of ankles - Increased laxity of fingers - Increased variability in muscle fiber diameter - Infantile onset - Joint laxity - Kyphosis - Mildly elevated creatine phosphokinase - Motor delay - Muscle fiber necrosis - Neonatal hypotonia - Nocturnal hypoventilation - Progressive - Protruding ear - Proximal muscle weakness - Recurrent lower respiratory tract infections - Respiratory insufficiency due to muscle weakness - Round face - Scoliosis - Slender build - Spinal rigidity - Talipes equinovarus - Torticollis - Type 1 muscle fiber predominance - Variable expressivity - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy ?
Answer: How might Ullrich muscular dystrophy be treated? Physical therapy, including early mobilization, regular stretching and splinting, is the main focus of supportive care. Respiratory support and night-time ventilation often becomes necessary in the first or second decade of life. Prevention of chest infections may be achieved with the use of antibiotics. Feeding difficulties leading to failure to thrive may be managed by gastrostomy. Surgery may be needed for contractures and scoliosis. Some reports indicate that people with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy may may benefit from cyclosporin A. More studies into the benefits of this therapy are needed.
Source: GARD