Which condition causes skeletal muscle degeneration in children, leading to progressive weakness?

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscular degeneration and weakness in children. It specifically affects the skeletal muscles, which are responsible for movement, and is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. This gene is crucial for maintaining the structural integrity of muscle fibers, and without functional dystrophin, muscles become damaged and degenerate over time.

The condition typically manifests in early childhood, predominantly affecting boys, and leads to challenges such as difficulty in walking, frequent falls, and progressive loss of muscle function. Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy may also experience associated complications, such as respiratory issues and cardiomyopathy, with the muscle degeneration often leading to a significant loss of mobility by their teenage years.

Other mentioned conditions do not encompass the same characteristics of skeletal muscle degeneration. Bursolith refers to a mineral deposit in a bursa, carpal tunnel syndrome involves compression of a nerve in the wrist, and fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, and tender points, but does not involve muscle degeneration.