The ABC's of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy: alpha-sarcoglycanopathy, Bethlem myopathy, calpainopathy and more

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy is a class of disorders encompassing many fo rms of this disease. Variation exists between the inheritance patterns, gen es responsible, course of disease and symptoms, with the cohesive factor am ong these disorders being the predominance of proximal muscle weakness. Her e we review each form of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy with attention to m olecular genetics, clinical features, inheritance, and diagnostic issues pe rtaining to each primary genetic cause. Curr Opir Neurol 14:567-573. (C) 20 01 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.