It has been named congenital muscular dystrophy with merosin deficiency. Signs of eye and facial weakness, as well as difficulty in swallowing follow this. Later stages of the slowly progressing OPMD might incorporate weakness in the pelvic and shoulder muscles. Welander is a form of DD that is inherited and affects the hands first. Markesbery-Griggs, another kind, is also inherited and affects the front of the lower legs first just like Nonaka dystrophy.
Miyoshi dystrophy is caused by a gene defect and affects the back of the lower legs first.
In general, distal dystrophies are not as severe, progress more slowly, and involve fewer muscles than other dystrophies. Weakness generally starts in the shoulders, upper arms, and lower legs, and it may later spread to muscles of the chest and pelvic area. Early in the disease, contractures appear usually involving the ankle and elbow. In most forms of muscular dystrophy, people have muscle weakness before contractures, whereas in EDMD, the contractures precede muscle weakness. Problems, such as heart problems, can actually occur in females who are carriers and do not even have the actual disease.