QUESTION: We are a long way from our family, and probably have the story all wrong, but we are worried and seeking help.
It seems our granddaughter has the Mary Tooth disease, and now is going to a medical specialist for care. Shouldn't she be seeing a dentist? What is it our children are keeping from us?
ANSWER: It isn't hard to become confused when doctors keep using the names of the discoverers of a disease when discussing it with patients, instead of something more descriptive.
Dr.
H.H.
Tooth, an Englishman, along with two French physicians, P.
Marie and J.
M.
Charcot, described a condition of muscle weakening in the legs in 1886.
Today the the disease is frequently called Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
And neurologists and orthopedic surgeons frequently work together to combine their skills in fighting the effects of "hereditary sensory-motor neuropathy;" another, more descriptive name of the disease.
It starts at puberty or young adulthood, usually with weakness and changes in feeling in the foot, then the legs.
It is genetically transmitted disease, and other similar diseases can frequently be found in the family pedigree.
It is slowly progressive, altering the gait and reflexes of the affected part. It is seldom totally incapacitating, and frequently becomes stationary.
The diagnosis is confirmed by using electrical test of the muscles, and conduction in the nerves.
There is no specific treatment for the disease, but bracing may help the weakness in the foot, and surgery can be used to help stabilize the affected foot.
Maybe your children are trying to keep some of the pain from you, but now that you know what I can offer, perhaps you can add your strength to theirs, and a phone call seems in order.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
