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Time to Diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Remains Unchanged: Findings from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet), 2000-2015
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Time to Diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Remains Unchanged: Findings from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet), 2000-2015

Shiny Thomas, Kristin M Conway, Olushola Fapo, Natalie Street, Katherine D Mathews, Joshua Mann, Paul A Romitti, Aida Soim, Christina Westfield, Deborah J Fox, …
Muscle & nerve, Vol.66(2), pp.193-197
08/2022
DOI: 10.1002/mus.27532
PMCID: PMC9308714
PMID: 35312090
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/9308714View
Open Access

Abstract

With current and anticipated disease-modifying treatments including gene therapy, an early diagnosis for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is crucial to assure maximum benefit. In 2009 a study from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet) showed an average diagnosis age of five years among males with DMD born from 1/1/1982 to 12/31/2000. Initiatives were implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and patient organizations to reduce time to diagnosis. We conducted a follow up study in a surveillance cohort born after 1/1/2000 to determine whether there has been an improvement in time to diagnosis. We assessed the age of diagnosis among males with DMD born from 1/1/2000-12/31/2015 using data collected by six US MD STARnet surveillance sites (Colorado, Iowa, Western New York State, Piedmont region of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Utah). The analytic cohort included 221 males with definite or probable DMD diagnosis without a documented family history. We computed frequency counts and percentages for categorical variables; and means, medians, and standard deviations (SD) for continuous variables. The mean [median] ages in years of diagnostic milestones were: first signs 2.7 [2.0], first creatine kinase (CK) 4.6 [4.6], DNA/muscle biopsy testing 4.9 [4.8], and time from first signs to diagnostic confirmation 2.2 [1.4]. The time interval between first signs of DMD and diagnosis remains unchanged at 2.2 years. This results in lost opportunities for timely genetic counseling, implementation of standards of care, initiation of glucocorticoids and participation in clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
diagnostic criteria muscle dystrophy MD STARnet delay surveillance Duchenne muscular dystrophy

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