What is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and how is it diagnosed?

the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) It is a rare disease, but we should not think that the picture is little widespread. Polyneuropathy is still unknown, and its name is derived from the three doctors who first described it.

What is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease?

CMT one Genetic Disease Which affects the peripheral nerves that have the task of carrying nerve impulses from the spinal cord to the muscles and sense organs. In practice, it affects the transmission of the message from the nervous system to the extremities.

Motor skills are controlled by nerve impulses and above all information is collected from the surroundings of our bodies, as happens with the sense of touch or pain perception. Combining these messages also helps maintain balance.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and how to recognize it

This disease is very complex and is believed to affect about 1250-2500 people. The picture usually develops slowly and can have various repercussions.

For example it can lead to incremental adjustments in hands and the gods Foot Difficulty lifting the toe, in the development of the so-called claw nails, in the loss of harmony and muscle mass in the legs, forearms and hands. It can lead to problems with balance and sensitivity and can lead to pain or cramps and lead to a type of fatigue.

All of these disorders have an impact on the quality of life of those who suffer from this disease. It must also be kept in mind that difficulties are usually not easily visible and therefore underestimated, also because the type and severity of symptoms can vary from patient to patient. So it is important to know this like other rare diseases.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and how to treat it

We remember that there is a European Consortium for this disease called the ECMTF which aims to gain greater knowledge of the disease and to promote collaborative research. In Italy there is the ACMT Rete which is part of this European Union.

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