oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy affects not only the eye muscles but also those of the throat; it is usually autosomal dominant in inheritance, with onset in the later years of life. Distal myopathy particularly affects the muscles of the feet and hands.

Oculopharyngeal dystrophies first strike the eye muscles, causing drooping of the eyelids and weakness or paralysis of the muscles moving the eyes. Later involvement of the face, bulbar muscles, limbs, and trunk is common.