[Specific and aspecific myocardial changes in progressive muscular dystrophy and their importance in rehabilitative treatment].

Clinical and instrumental parameters studied in over 200 progressive muscular dystrophy patients during a period of about 10 yr revealed four different types of cardiopathy in this disease. The most interesting finding was that 38% of patients with Duchènne's dystrophy presented a clinical and ECG picture reminiscent of that of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Some suggestions are made for the pharmacological and rehabilitative management of subjects with myocardiopathy in the course of myodystrophy.