Abstract

An uncommon variety of non familial, juvenile onset, spinal muscular atrophy with asymmetric distal upper extremity affection is described. One hundred and two patients with a one to 14 year follow up are analysed. Spinal muscular atrophies with a distal distribution are rare. However, in the past three decades, previously unrecognised varieties of neurogenic muscular atrophy have been described in Asia (Japan, India, Sri Lanka and Singapore) under a variety of names. These provide interesting data for discussion of Asian neurogenic muscular atrophies with distal affection, in the context of diseases of the motor neuron.