A hereditary form of progressive muscular dystrophy with onset in childhood or adolescence. It is marked by atrophic changes in the muscles of the shoulder girdle and face, inability to raise the arms above the head, myopathic facies, eyelids that remain partly open in sleep, and inability to whistle or purse the lips.
This particular variant of muscular dystrophy, alternatively referred to as Landouzy-Dejerine syndrome, manifests during the later stages of childhood or the initial phases of adulthood, afflicting individuals of both genders. It results in muscular weakness encompassing the facial, shoulder, and upper arm muscles.