A severe form of muscular dystrophy marked by generalized weakness and muscular wasting that affects the face and feet and hands and neck; difficult speech and difficulty with the hands that spreads to the arms and shoulders and legs and hips; the onset can be any time from birth to middle age and the progression is slow; inheritance is autosomal dominant.

synonyms: myotonic dystrophy, myotonic muscular dystrophy, Steinert's disease.

Polish: dystrofia miotoniczna, miotonia zanikowa, DM, choroba Curschmanna-Steinerta