Question: What is (are) Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy ?
Answer: Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a genetic muscle disorder with onset during adulthood, most often between 40 and 60 years of age. This condition is characterized by slowly progressive muscle disease (myopathy) affecting the muscles of the upper eyelids and the throat. There are two types of OPMD, which are distinguished by their patterns of inheritance. They are known as the autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive types. Both types are caused by mutations in the PABPN1 gene.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy? There are many signs and symptoms of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD), although the specific symptoms and age of onset varies among affected individuals. Most people show one or more symptoms by the age of 70. The most common symptoms of OPMD include: Muscle weakness (also known as myopathy) Droopy eyelids (also known as ptosis) Difficulty swallowing (also known as dysphagia) Double vision Tongue weakness Upper and/or lower body weakness Weakness of the muscles in the face Voice disorders (in about half of people with this condition) The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Oculopharyngeal 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) Abnormality of the pharynx 90% Myopathy 90% Ophthalmoparesis 90% Ptosis 90% Skeletal muscle atrophy 90% Mask-like facies 7.5% Adult onset - Autosomal dominant inheritance - Distal muscle weakness - Dysarthria - Dysphagia - Facial palsy - Gait disturbance - Limb muscle weakness - Neck muscle weakness - Progressive - Progressive ptosis - Proximal muscle weakness - 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 causes Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy ?
Answer: What causes oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy? Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is caused by mutations in the PABPN1 gene. The PABPN1 gene provides instructions for making a protein that is active (expressed) throughout the body. In cells, the PABPN1 protein plays an important role in processing molecules called messenger RNAs (mRNAs), which serve as genetic blueprints for making proteins. The protein acts to protect the mRNA from being broken down and allows it to move within the cell. Mutations in the PABPN1 gene that cause OPMD result in a PABPN1 protein that forms clumps within muscle cells, and hence they cannot be broken down. These clumps are thought to impair the normal function of muscle cells and eventually cause cells to die. The progressive loss of muscle cells most likely causes the muscle weakness seen in people with OPMD. It is not known why abnormal PABPN1 proteins seem to affect muscle cells in only certain parts of the body.
Source: GARD

Question: Is Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy inherited ?
Answer: How is oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy inherited?
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy ?
Answer: Is genetic testing available for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy? Genetic testing is available for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). GeneTests lists the names of laboratories that are performing genetic testing for this condition. To view the contact information for the clinical laboratories conducting testing click here. Please note that most of the laboratories listed through GeneTests do not accept direct contact from patients and their families; therefore, individuals that are interested in learning more will need to work with a health care provider or a genetics professional.
Source: GARD