About Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy
The New York Center for Rare Diseases supports the mission and guidelines of the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD). The following information is provided by the NIH.
Summary
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a disorder characterized by muscle weakness and wasting (atrophy). This condition gets its name from the areas of the body that are affected most often: muscles in the face (facio-), around the shoulder blades (scapulo-), and in the upper arms (humeral). The signs and symptoms of Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy usually appear in adolescence.
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy results from a deletion of genetic material from a region of DNA known as D4Z4. This region is located near one end of chromosome 4. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.
Causes
What Causes This Disease?
Genetic Mutations: Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy is caused by genetic mutations, also known as pathogenic variants. Genetic mutations can be hereditary, when parents pass them down to their children, or they may occur randomly when cells are dividing. Genetic mutations may also result from contracted viruses, environmental factors, such as UV radiation from sunlight exposure, or a combination of any of these.
If you suspect you may have this disease, you may want to start collecting your family health history. Information such as other family members who have had similar symptoms, when their/your symptoms first appeared, or exposures to any potential disease-causing environmental factors should be discussed with your medical team.
Can This Disease Be Passed Down From Parent to Child?
Yes. It is possible for a biological parent to pass down genetic mutations that cause or increase the chances of getting this disease to their child. This is known as inheritance. Knowing whether other family members have previously had this disease, also known as family health history, can be very important information for your medical team.
There are multiple ways, or patterns, a disease can be inherited depending on the gene(s) involved. Based on GARD’s current data, this disease can be inherited in the following pattern(s):
Autosomal Dominant: Autosomal means the gene involved is located on one of the numbered chromosomes. Dominant means that a child only needs to inherit one copy of the mutated gene, from either biological parent, to be affected by the disease.
People affected by an autosomal dominant disease have a 50% chance of passing on the mutated gene to their biological child.